A snorkeler was injured by what appears to be a shark in the south-west of England, the British coastguard said on Tuesday August 2. A rare incident in the country.
“Suspected shark bite”
The British Sea and Coastguard Agency said in a statement that it had taken charge of a diver on Thursday July 28 “who suffered from a suspected shark bite”.
According to the agency, “it seems that the swimmer was injured in the leg”. He was picked up at the port of Penzance, Cornwall, South West England.
The diver regrets nothing
Despite the turn of events, “It was amazing to see such majestic creatures and I don’t want this incident to tarnish the reputation of already persecuted species”reacted the injured diver, quoted this Tuesday by the Blue Shark Snorkel Trips group which had organized the outing.
“These incidents are extremely rare and can quickly be misunderstood”underlined the group. “These things can happen when you choose to interact with wild animals in their environment”he explained on Facebook.
A ‘near-threatened’ shark species
Blue sharks, which can grow up to four meters long, visit UK waters in the summer. Hunters, they spend most of their time on the high seas eating fish and shellfish.
The blue shark is classified as a species “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is prized for its meat and its fins are regularly caught in fishing nets.
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