Blue shark spotted in Cornish estuary raises welfare concerns

A five-foot blue shark has been spotted swimming in the shallows off the Cornish coast, sparking concerns for its welfare.

The creature, which usually lives in deep water, was seen swimming in Carrick Roads – an estuary near Falmouth – on Wednesday morning.

Marine animal experts and rescuers from the charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue were called to the stranding.

The shark was seen writhing in shallow water, appearing to rub against the sandy seabed.

Sharing a video of its unusual movements and appealing to shark experts for help, marine biologist Christy Judd wrote on Twitter: “As you can see this shark looks quite healthy so this behavior is very strange! Does anyone have a theory?”

She added that it is unusual for blue sharks to come this far inshore.

“Which is why we are so concerned about his health – definitely strange behaviour,” she wrote. “I theorized that it could have been chasing a school of fish and then it got disoriented.”

Some have speculated that the shark may have been disoriented by sonar used in military training.

Others suggested the creature – which usually lives in saltier water than the brackish estuary – may have been “confused” by its surroundings.

The shark was observed for about seven hours before leaving the area on its own.

Blue sharks usually live in deep water. They are known to migrate long distances and visit UK seas in the summer months where they are usually spotted at least 10 miles offshore.

The largest blue shark caught in UK waters measured more than 9ft in length.