Divers come face-to-face with five killer sharks off Cornwall coast
This is the breathtaking moment a trio of divers have a close encounter with a group of killer sharks – off Britain.
The amazing encounter happened five miles off Land's End between diver Charles Hood and two colleagues and five blue sharks.
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans. 'We were thrilled to see them,' said Mr Hood, an experienced diver
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
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Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
-
Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
-
Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
-
Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
-
Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
-
Diver Charles Hood and two colleagues confronted five blue sharks – which are among the world's widest-ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans
Click here to see a high res gallery of the blue sharks off Cornwall's coast.
The ferocious creatures are among the world's widest ranging sharks and have been known to attack humans with four known fatalities.
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Experienced diver Mr Hood set out to try and see one this summer after hearing local fishermen say they'd seen them off Cornwall.
He said: "It was very special. I've only ever seen blue sharks off Cornwall once before – years ago. These were between five and seven feet long. We tied some mackerel to a rope – without hooks – to try and lure them. And then they appeared. I think there were five different sharks in total.
"We had two separate encounters in the space of two hours with one and two sharks at a time. They kept coming back but I think there could have been five separate sharks over the space of the two hours – which is incredible. It was fantastic to see them.
"Maybe it means their populations are recovering.
"We were thrilled to see them anyway."
Possibly the widest ranging of all sharks in the eastern Atlantic, the Blue Shark is found from Norway to South Africa and is a pelagic, oceanic species.
Tag and recapture studies have shown that a regular clockwise trans-Atlantic migration occurs, following the major currents.
It appears that blue sharks tagged off the east coast of the USA follow the Gulf Stream to Europe, ride various currents south along the coasts of Europe and Africa and then follow the Atlantic North Equatorial Current to the Caribbean.
Globally, an estimated 20 million blue sharks are taken in commercial long-line and drift-net fisheries each year, mainly as by-catch.
Comments
by Sausage85
Thursday, October 25 2012, 11:03PM
“Another sensationalist story using the usual lazy array of adjectives while being an awful victimisation of a creature that's already been persecuted to the brink.
These stories should be written responsibly to inform the public that they are not the legendary man-eaters the world thinks they are.
To the fear into respect.
Try to educate people, you have a duty to do so if you are going to keep writing these unconfirmed stories.”
by AnGof1955
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 9:56PM
“I agree with dropping the 'killer' bit, as it is a bit ott. We must remember the biggist killer of Man is Man, and the biggest killer of all other species is? yes you got it Man.”
by 4becks
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 2:28PM
“not news - blue sharks always been here and have been fished and displayed on penzance/newlyn quay for centuries and yes lose the maneater scary headline rubbish”
by HannahJones
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 2:24PM
“Also I'm surprised that the article makes no mention of the shark finning trade, which is why so many species of shark are on the brink of extinction. Yes, as the last paragraph states, accidental bycatch is a massive problem - but targeted finning is even more of one. These fins are mainly used in the restaurant and alternative medicine trade. 100 million is the estimated figure put on this.”
by homerjay
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 1:16PM
“Jo
If someone tried to kill you and you killed them unintentionally in self defence would it be fair to label you, and by extension, all female humans, 'killers'?
Sharks have suffered immensely by discriminatory reports.
I am a diver too and have seen these beautiful creatures on their terms and developed respect for them and an abhorrence for man that slaughters these creatures or demonises them.
This is the killers in action and they haven't got gills..http://tinyurl.com/8wdejs7”
by caveyavey
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 12:26PM
“Simply gorgeous photos! BUT Please can we stop the whole KILLER - MANEATER nonsense...”
by HannahJones
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 11:17AM
“They have been fished off Cornwall forever. Nowadays they are caught, tagged and released. That they are here really isn't such big news is it? If you read accounts of the shark fishing boom off Looe in the 60s, you'll find out how many of them there once were out there. They used to catch them, bring them back to port, weigh and measure them and then take them back out to sea and dump them. Then in '76 the catches crashed. Wonder why?
We should make the most of them as they are being absolutely clobbered off Brazil and in Biscay.
Good photos though.”
by Phil_lip
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 11:03AM
“homerjay is right in part, any apex predator is a danger to any human that is stupid enough to either corner (stick a hook in mouth and drag on boat) or even go into its environment because we are still part of the food chain even though we are arrogant enough to think differently.
Most sharks are shy though, they may get inquisitive and come sniffing around you but it is very rare for one to attack you, to bait them like these guys did is fairly safe as without the hook they are not likely to become aggressive (or more realistically go into survival mode to try and free themselves)
Nice gates case and awesome photos though guys, if you ever need another diver for something similair am up for it.”
by Jo_Wood
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 10:27AM
“Ah, I take your point @homerjay that some sharks can be shy and have a bad rep incorrectly. But it's not wrong to call them killers if they have, um, killed ? I could be wrong, of course..”
by homerjay
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 10:23AM
“Great photos.
But isn't it time to ditch the childish scare rhetoric?
They are not ferocious, they are shy.
''group of killer sharks''...''have been known to attack humans with four known fatalities.''
There have been no unprovoked attacks by blue sharks, if you try to spear one and get bitten that's your stupid fault.
Yet again an innocent animal suffers false hype and discrimination from lazy journalism”