They are the undisputed predators of the ocean, armed with razor-sharp teeth, capable of reaching speeds of 35mph – and now a great white shark could be headed towards Britain.
A ferocious predator – called Lydia – is currently just 1,000 miles of the coast of Cornwall and Ireland in the Atlantic.
And if she continues on her path, the 14.5ft, 2,000lb beast could arrive in British waters by Monday, which would make her the first great white to cross the Atlantic.
She was tagged as part of the Ocearch project, which aims to monitor sharks to learn more about their movements and Lydia’s progress can be followed on the project’s website.
She has swum more than 19,000 miles since a tracking device was fitted to her near Florida as part of the Ocearch scientific project.
She is currently near the mid-Atlantic ridge and researchers tracking her progress said she has travelled 380miles in just 72 hours.
‘She technically does not cross the Atlantic until she crosses the mid-Atlantic ridge, which she has yet to do,’ said Dr Gregory Skomal, senior fisheries biologist with Massachusetts Marine Fisheries.
He believes she is closer to Europe than North America.
We have no idea how far she will go, but Europe, the Med, and the coast of Africa are all feasible,’ Dr Skomal said.
The act of tagging the shark, let alone predicting where it will travel, was a feat in itself.
A 75,000lb hydraulic platform was used to hoist Lydia from the water in order to fit the tracking device.
Though Lydia’s journey is impressive, great whites are known for their marathon migrations.
In 2003 a great white nicknamed Nicole travelled from South Africa to Australia and back – a some 12,400 miles.
In recent years there have been several sightings of Great whites off the coast of Britain.
In September last year, fisherman David Bond said he had spotted a 14ft beast swimming close to his boat off the coast of Looe in southern Cornwall.
The suspected sighting came just a day after a fisherman on board a lobster boat said he spotted a ‘giant shark’ get close to his vessel.
All those who witnessed the shark dismissed the idea it could be a basking shark, saying the creature was much larger, prompting experts to consider the possibility it was a Great white.
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