Linda Reynolds, secretary of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain, believed this was the first report of a great white in British waters. Sightings of great white sharks have been moving ever closer to Britain as global warming raises sea temperatures. The species shot to notoriety as maneaters after the film Jaws. However, they have been responsible worldwide for an average of around one attack on a human each year. In California there have been 78 attacks since 1926 but only eight have been fatal.
Recent research indicates that great white sharks probably only attack humans by mistake.
By contrast, around 500 great white sharks die as a result of human activity every year in Australian waters alone. The Australian government declared them an endangered species in 1997. Forward this to all surfers to keep the seas empty over the next 6 months, or 2.