A snorkeler is reported to have been bitten by a shark off Cornwall. The female swimmer was near Penzance when her leg was injured on Thursday (28 July). She was swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg. A spokesperson said: "HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite. The female swimmer is said to have been on a snorkelling trip to see blue sharks in Penzance harbour. The "extremely rare" incident is believed to have involved a blue shark off the coast of Cornwall. A snorkeler off the coast of southern England has suffered a suspected shark bite, officials said on Tuesday, in what appears to be an extremely rare incident. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. The female swimmer was near Penzance when her leg was They said: "I just wanted to say that, despite how the trip ended, it was amazing to seed such majestic creatures in the wild and I don't for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species. And usually very, very peaceful. 'We used a Shark Billy, poles that we could prod away a shark if they got too close. The island ranks 13th in the world for shark attacks, the country's official tourism site says. There has not been an unprovoked shark attack in British waters since records began. 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The swimmer was off the coast of Cornwall with Blue Shark Snorkel, who have said shark attacks are "extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood" if not treated and discussed sensibly. The unlucky adventurer had been swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg. The victim added that 'despite how the trip ended', it was 'amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild'. It is thought one of the animals collided with the boat, capsizing it. Elsewhere around the world there are about 70 reported shark attacks on people each year, although few are fatal. A swimmer has been bitten by a shark while snorkelling off the coast of Britain, in what is thought to be the first attack of its kind in 175 years. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me. Cornish women are becoming the driving force at the world's largest china clay pit. A local shark fisherman said yesterday that he saw 'massive' blue sharks at the same spot the day before the bite incident. Shark attacks remain rare, especially in the UK. The Do not sell or share my personal information. Of these, 21 can be found year-round. It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. A snorkeler has been rescued by the coastguard after being bitten by a shark off the coast of Cornwall. Local media suggests she had been out on a blue shark sightseeing trip at the time. The coast of Cornwall is experiencing an increase in sightings of sharks. The family of a British man killed by a shark in Australia have paid tribute to him, saying he had a "rare gift" in connecting with people. She suffered a leg injury and was treated by medics at the scene at They are hunters, which migrate through oceans, eating fish and shellfish. It stuck around for about an hour, before being scared off by a pod of 80 dolphins. This was the fish of a lifetime. 'The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). Mr Currie, 53, managed to free himself with the help of one of his crew, but was left shaken by the experience. Babies: 4-135 pups a year (35 on average). Porbeagles are ambush predators which target smaller fish, typically off reefs well out to sea. 'We've tried to understand why it happened and are in continued talks with shark experts.'. The company did not respond to numerous phonecalls or messages and simply posted the information on its Facebook page. A woman was bitten in a suspected shark attack off the coast of Cornwall Credit: Alamy. "As we know, these things can happen when we interact with wild animals in their own environment. In April, a suspected basking shark was captured on video Trip organiser Victoria Walker, who runs Blue Shark Snorkel from Penzance harbour, told the Daily Mail last night:'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved. A blue shark attack is not going to happen to an ordinary person enjoying the coast, an expert from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust has said. Matt Slater, a Marine Officer at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said a blue shark attack is not going to happen to an ordinary person surfing, swimming, or diving around the coast, Sign up for our Daily Newsletter for the latest local news straight to your inbox. They are the most migratory shark on earth, travelling over 9,000km (5,700 miles) each year, according to Shark Trust UK. Winter storm batters California with even MORE snow leaving over 100,000 without power, as forecasters say it'll cause flurries as far east as Boston by Friday, 'Leave the medication for those with medical issues!' Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. Later in the same month another beach in West Dorset had to be closed for an hour and a half due to another blue shark.". August 2021: The same month, a postman recalled the moment he came face-to-face with a huge shark while snorkelling off the coast of Cornwall. The dorsal fin continued to approach and it soon became clear that this was something rather different and special, a Porbeagle! They are a predator.". Mr Yelland, who lives in St Erth, Cornwall, takes wildlife photographs in his spare time. The species, which can measure up to 13ft and weigh 400lb, is found in every sea and ocean except the Arctic. It is the first shark attack of its kind on a person in British waters since 1847. "It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. After being taken ashore and treated by paramedics, the snorkeler was taken to hospital for stitches but has since been released. The comments below have not been moderated. We didn't keep her by the boat long, just enough to get a picture and then we let it go.". "It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. ", Mr Slater said he went on a trip off Penzance to look for blue sharks last summer, admitting that it was a pinch-me moment "to see them in Cornish waters. / CBS/AFP. Working for Imerys at the lunar landscape of Littlejohns pit near Nanpean, we went to meet some of the women behind the wheel of the huge dump trucks. It comes after a recent A snorkeller was left 'screaming for help' after being bitten by a shark off Cornwall in the first attack of its kind in 175 years - in what the victim branded a 'very scary incident' at sea. The person injured was not named, but the company quoted them as saying it was a "very scary incident." June 2017:Rich Thomson, 30, was swimming off the coast of Devon when he was bitten on the thumb by what was believed at the time to have been a three-foot smooth hound shark. Several species visit the Cornish waters every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks. 'I started the shark diving trips off Cornwall in 2006 and myself and my guides were always in the water with those we were taking out. Mr Oxenham said: "I've never seen anything like this. With this in mind, Discover Cornwall has been launched to highlight everything that makes Cornwall special, from the quirky to the fascinating and the historical to the downright weird and wonderful. Working for Imerys at the lunar landscape of Littlejohns pit near Nanpean, we went to meet some of the women behind the wheel of the huge dump trucks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. At the time, Mr Venn told The Brighton Argus: "I went down to the beach to feed the birds when I saw something come up just behind the waves. Now the unnamed person has spoken out about the attack via the shark exploration company. A swimmer has been bitten by a shark while snorkelling off the coast of Cornwall. A snorkeller was the recent victim of a suspected shark attack off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened on Thursday. What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me. The woman is understood to have been in the water near the Shark attacks are 'extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood'. Huge shark fin spotted off Cornwall coast freaks out beachgoers and sparks warning. August 2021: The RNLI closed a busy Dorset beach last summer after a shark was reportedly spotted in the water. A Cornish tour agency that arranges snorkel trips to watch blue sharks confirmed a participant had received first aid after an "incident.". He added: "This is something that nobody really expected, and a very, very rare and quite a sad story really, because it obviously tarnishes the reputation of an amazing animal. ", Did you see what happened or do you know who was involved? Richard Kirby and Leslie Nye, from theAdmiralty Yard Craft Service, were providing support for divers when a shark was spotted in the water. A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeller who suffered a suspected shark bite. According to the conservation society the Shark Trust there are actually more than 40 different species of shark which pass through UK waters. In 1998 basking sharks were given protected status, meaning they cannot be disturbed in British waters. May 2018: A fisherman suffered horrific wounds and was airlifted to hospitalafter he was bitten on the leg by a close relative of the Great White shark on a fishing boat off the coast of Cornwall. 'These sort of trips have to be handled both sensitively for the shark and also safely for those who are taking part. Obans hair-raising footage shows the huge shark swimming inquisitively around him, just below the surface of the water. Shark fans have fearlessly taken to the sea again to go snorkelling despite a woman being hurt last week in the first shark attack of its kind in 175 years. It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury. The shark was caught on camera by Tristan Campion, over the pier wall, swimming effortlessly through the crystal-clear water. Read about our approach to external linking. In a statement, she said: I just wanted to say that despite how the trip ended, it was amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild and I dont for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species. There has been a growing interest in sharks on Cornwalls coast.Several reports indicate the harmless invasion occurred as a result of the diversion of marine traffic from Covidy.Several sharks, especially porbeagle sharks, have been reported off the Cornwall coast over the past few weeks. Countries; United Kingdom; Cornwall Shark attack data for Cornwall, United Kingdom. Last Thursday, (28 July) a snorkeler was involved in a suspected shark attack in what they described as a very scary incident off the coast of Cornwall. "Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore. Unprovoked counts. Last year a professional fisherman reeled one only a mile off Falmouth. The family of a British man killed by a shark in Australia have paid tribute to him, saying he had a "rare gift" in connecting with people. First published on August 2, 2022 / 2:30 PM. 'The shark was spotted swimming in between boats and came very close to the shore, swimming past tourists in just a few feet of water. Lifeguards on jet skis then spent 20 minutes searching the water off Boscombe beach in Bournemouth after three reports of some kind of 'large marine life' under the water, an RNLI spokesman said. ", He continued: "Obviously in the headlines it's, 'shark attack in Cornwall', but actually it's not going to happen to an ordinary person surfing, swimming, or diving around our coast - it's really nothing for people to be afraid of. In August 2012 a beach in Ceredigion, Wales, was closed to bathers due to the presence of a blue shark. The firm shared a statement from the victim, who said: I just wanted to say that despite how the trip ended, it was amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild and I dont for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species. 3rd Aug 2022, 10:59am. Meg & Harry 'stunned' by King's 'cruel' Frogmore eviction 'punishment', Harry and Meghan evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles after Spare memoir, Emmerdale's Amy Nuttall caught cheating hubby after sexy lingerie slip-up, Constance Marten and lover arrested over manslaughter, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. She said: 'I don't for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species.'. In April, astonishing pictures emerged of what locals in Plymouth, Devon, believed to be an unusual starry smooth-hound shark. "We all take these risks when we enter the habitat of a predator and we can never completely predict the actions of a wild animal.". Prefers temperatures of 12-20C but can tolerate 830C. The UK-based charity the Shark Trust says there have been no unprovoked shark bites in British waters since 1847 when records began. The alleged attack follows a number of sightings reported along the south coast of England this year. They are often present in UK waters during the summer, and a blue shark sighting in Ceredigion, Wales, in 2012 saw the New Quay beach closed to visitors for several hours. There are four confirmed cases of fatal blue shark attacks on humans and 25 confirmed non-fatal attacks, the website says. Local media suggests she had been out on a blue shark sightseeing trip at the time. 'Thank you to the trip team for getting me back to shore quickly and carefully and making me feel as safe as I possibly could. 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Mr Berryman described the incident, which happened on Sunday (May 13), saying: It landed on the floor of the boat right next to me and was thrashing around wildly. The swimmer suffered a bite to the leg and required help from HM Coastguard and ambulance crews following the encounter near Penzance. Tributes have been pouring in from Cornwall and Australia for Simon Nellist, who tragically died in a shark attack near Sydney. Most Read. Meanwhile, photos believedto be of a great whiteshark were captured by James Venn, 42, while he stood on the beach near Goring, West Sussex, on February 4. The woman is understood to have been in the water near the harbour in Penzance when the beast allegedly struck on July 28. Experts said it was the first incident involving a surfer in British waters, and one of only a handful of attacks in the past 100 years. The video was filmed by Alex Brace, a member of a local sailing club in Tenby, who was standing in the water docking a boat at the time. Meanwhile, photos believedto be of a great whiteshark were captured by James Venn, 42, while he stood on the beach near Goring, West Sussex, on February 4. It warns that blue sharks are "apex predators" with no natural predators and participants "swim with them knowing there is a risk.". "At the time I thought it was a seal but, when I looked at the photos again, I thought it doesn't look like a seal.". "It's just an incredible feeling when you see them. 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