Rare shark breaches in front of shocked boat passengers in Wales

Cascade News

Boat passengers in Wales got more than they bargained for when a rare shark breached the water right in front of them.

The thresher shark was caught on camera in the same stretch of water in Ceredigion where a blue shark last week kept holidaymakers out of the water.

Threshers are usually spotted in Asia and North America, but this one threw itself out of the water in front of passengers on the research vessel Sulaire.

Members of the public as well as staff from the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre were on board.

Sarah Perry, the centre's science officer, was on board. According to the Daily Mail, she said: "Thresher sharks are normally found in deep waters but can follow their prey closer to the shore so maybe that's what this one was doing.

"Perhaps either it or its prey were attracted by increasing sea temperatures.

"You can recognise thresher sharks by their long tails - which they use to herd their prey into tight groups before feeding on them.

"They're protected as a threatened species - they're far more at risk from us."

Last week, holidaymakers in the same area were told to stay out of the water after RNLI lifeguards spotted a blue shark in the sea.

According to the BBC, red flags were raised on New Quay beach in Ceredigion on and the beach was temporarily closed.

The shark swam between boats moored at the end of the beach.

The RNLI said it would be very rare to see a shark that close to the shoreline in the area.

And, just a month ago, a beach in Devon was evacuated after a member of the public saw a shark fin about 20 to 25 metres out to sea.

Swimmers and surfers were forced to abandon Croyde beach after it was put on red alert when the fin was spotted.

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