UK waters being searched for JAWS shark

After decades of unconfirmed sightings, scientists are hoping to prove that great white sharks are swimming off UK and Irish waters.

Dr Nick Payne, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences and shark expert, explained why real life Matt Hoopers believe conditions are perfect for the second largest shark in the world.

He said: "It's not too hot, it's not too cold, the food here is right, both here in Ireland and throughout different parts of the UK.

“This is like a Goldilocks environment for these animals."

On the (scientific) hunt for the iconic but endangered shark aren't the three bears of Quint, Brody and Hooper from JAWS, but Ocearch, a US non-profit research organisation.

Ocean temperatures around Ireland and Cornwall regularly reach 16C, perfect conditions for great whites. Crucially, it's also home to lots of seals, who are a staple diet of the cacharadon carcharis, making conditions just right for the shark.

Great White sharks are the species depicted in both source novel and film adaptation of ‘JAWS’

And researchers have chosen the Great Blasket Island in Co Kerry, Ireland, to start their tantalising quest to confirm the first recorded great white shark in Irish or UK waters.

Chris Fischer, founder of Ocearch, told Sky News what impact such a momentous discovery would have. He said: "It would be the shark heard around the world.

"It would be the greatest thing we have ever achieved on the water.

"It would be the greatest gift we could give to any region of the world for their future, because that one shark would show people in this area and other research institutions where they can then potentially work on them and get more of the work going."

He'd love to prove that and get his name into the National Geographic, but for now, at least, it remains the fin-possible dream for shark and conservation experts and fans. 

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But if those proportions are correct and conclusive evidence is found, the news shouldn't' be something feared, the beaches shouldn't be closed (by order of Amity P.D. or otherwise), but the confirmation of a cloud in the shape of a great white shark should be embraced. 

The Daily Jaws resident shark expert Kristian Parton, creator of the Shark Bytes YouTube channel, said: “Looking at the arguments for great whites being in the UK, our waters are around the right temperature for whites and there is a potential food source, namely our populations of grey and common seals. 

"A great white was once caught in 1977, 168 miles off Land’s End in Cornwall. More recently in 2014, a tagged white shark known as ‘Lydia’ was the first of her species to cross the Mid-Atlantic ridge, although this is still over 1,000 miles off British shores. On balance though, the conditions here in the UK are just about right.”

However, don’t get finding your Quint hat or constructing shark towers just yet, as looking at this from a scientific perspective, for now there is an inherent lack of strong evidence for their presence here in the UK. 

Kristian said: "There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings, none of which have credible photo or video evidence to back up the claims. If great whites were regular visitors in our waters, there would be significantly more evidence. 

"Perhaps they would be being caught as bycatch in fishing nets? Or there may be evidence of their attacks on seals, with carcasses displaying bite marks washing up on our beaches? Or someone by now would have managed to get a high-quality photo or video? And let’s be honest who doesn’t own some form of smartphone these days!

“So, while there may be the odd occasion a great white has wandered into our waters, it is highly unlikely that we have a population of great whites living and feeding in our waters regularly. Undoubtedly, if they were here, the media would go into a frenzy, however we would be exceptionally lucky to have them.”

With rising sea temperatures and growing seal populations with no natural predator, perhaps the time and tide are right for things to come to a head, the tail, the whole damn thing.

Do you think great white sharks are in UK waters already? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Words by Dean Newman

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