Embedded Files
Blue Shark spotted in trouble near Manaccan in the Helford estuary off the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.22.8.14
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2731086/Deadly-six-foot-SHARK-carefully-guided-sea-getting-trapped-Cornish-estuary-rusty-hook-fin.html
Interest in a tagged Great White Shark- How far will it travel.? Interestng only from a scientific point of view. I`m sure they will soon let us know.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2575601/Is-great-white-shark-heading-BRITAIN-Killer-fish-spotted-just-1-000-miles-Cornish-coast-arrive-3-DAYS.html
7.3.14
* See Western Morning News 31.10.13
Note; This page is not published in the Book "A History of Mullion Cove, Cornwall"
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A Historical Guide.
Introduction
The presence of Sharks around the Cornish Coast is nothing new. Their presence has been documented for hundreds of years.
For centuries Mackerel and Pilchard fishermen reported incidents involving sharks, in particular the Blue Shark which followed the sailing ships across the Atlantic Ocean waiting for the remains of a crews meal, offal or other offerings to be thrown overboard.
They rampaged through fishing nets to get at the fish, often becoming entangled whilst feeding on the Mackerel, Herring or Pilchards. Many nets were destroyed in the process. Sometimes they were so prolific and active that they could force a fishing fleet off the water.
In 1873 it was reported that 5 whales were seen in Mounts Bay, 3 adults and 2 younger ones. It was also said that Whales visit the Bay in cold summers and Sharks in warm summers.(Royal Cornwall Gazette 30.8.1873) But, there are no doubt many other stories and encounters which never reached the ears of the national daily press.
Only recently a local gentleman told me how he recalled seeing what he confidently described to be a hammer-head shark breach off Poldhu many years ago but didn`t tell anyone because he thought no one would believe him.
The following research articles are taken primarily from early 19th century, Victorian and later Newspapers. They describes their presence, commonly ... but by no means exclusively, in and around Mounts Bay, the home of some of the major Cornish inshore fisheries. Sharks were to be found around the whole coastline.
Historical sightings and encounters were reported around much of the South West coastline.
Local fishermen have reported catches of Blue shark in their nets off Mullion in the past, as well as other fishermen who have described incidents around the Lizard the Cornish Coast.
Every year Cornwall receives hundreds of harmless Basking Sharks which swim leisurely and harmlessly around the coast feeding on a diet of plankton.They are often seen around the Lizard Coast and in particular Lands End. Some were measured at between 30-40` long.(Roy.Cornwall Gazette 9.8.1900) In Victorian times they were often caught and killed for the oil produced from their Liver.
News of Shark sightings are of interest to many people, especially National and Local Newspapers, and although there are a small number of disturbing stories, the fact remains that some species have been around these shores for many thousands of years.
1.Some Historical articles about Sharks off the Cornish Coast
Courtesy of the britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
Other sources of Reference are also recorded.
In his book " A Natural History of Cornwall" published in 1758 the eminent Cornish Clergyman and historian William Borlase wrote of the Blue Shark that "... it haunts the Cornish Coast all fishing season" and "... though greatly inferior in bulk to the White Shark is so great an enemy to the fishing nets that the fishermen have large hooks made by the country smiths to catch them".
He describes work recorded by a Mr Ray, whose notes were intended to be made into a book.
(The notes were lent to Borlase by the then vicar of St Clare,but lost later in the 18th century.)
He wrote that there were different varieties which came to Penzance to take fish. They included the Fox Shark, or Thresher Shark (named after its long tail fin) and the Porbeagle.
Borlase also describes the "Grampus" or Killer Whale, also known as the Blackfish, sometimes weighing 1000lbs, 18` in length and known to take the porpoise, another common visitor, along with Dolphins.
In 1829 the Captain of a transport ship entering the English Channel at the Lizard reported that the ship there had been beset by a large shoal of spermaceti whales and grampus` (Killer Whales), including one of the largest sharks he had ever seen. He assumed that they had been driven north by bad weather. (Sherborne Mercury 14 September 1829)
In 1870 an unusual catch of a Spinous Shark (also called Bramble Shark or Prickly Shark) was made in Mounts Bay between Low Lea buoy and Clements Island by hook and line. A wounded, possibly exhausted shark, 7` 3" long was caught with rod and line and gaffed at the surface before a loop was passed over its tail. A specimen had been caught in the area 5 years earlier, described in the Zoologist Magazine by T Cornish and also seen by Cornish zoologist John Couch of Polperro Another example was also caught off Lands End and also Eddystone in 1869.
These are extremely rare catches for english waters and grows to 13`. Today it appears to be only found in the Pacific Ocean and off California and is threatened by commercial Fishing. (Western Times 10.9.1870)
In 1893 reference was made in the Morning Post to the strength and voracity of the sharks which regularly caused great nuisance to the fishermen, were uncommonly abundant for the time in the English Channel, and that some of them were of a size which caused a threat to bathers and swimmers. Stories of actual deaths caused by sharks they said were rare and reference was made to an older incident which had reportedly occurred in Belfast Harbour where a woman was bitten in half whilst being lowered over the side of a ship returning from the Guinea Coast. the Ship had put in to Belfast for shelter from a storm. It was strongly considered that the shark had followed the ship from warmer latitudes. (Morning Post 8 September 1893)
In 1906 the Cornwall Fisheries Committee reported at Truro that the Mounts Bay Mackerel Fishery was concluded earlier than normal " ...on account of the great distance of the fish, low prices, and numerous blue sharks, the latter being very destructive to the nets." (Cornishman 6th September 1906)
There was an interesting report in 1908 made by the Pilchard drifters from Mousehole who were fishing about 1-2 miles from the Mount and SE of Mousehole. Between the time of casting the nets and hauling them in the trawlers were handlining for hake, Polloack and other large fish when a man called Ben Wallis of the "Ivy" hooked a White Shark. Luckily he was using a new hand line and the shark was boated and placed in a sheath. Being out of water it began to lash about in a voracious manner and was immediately despatched by one of the crew. It was eleven feet in length and all white. It was said that " It was most unusual for fishermen to meet with with this particular kind of this great length although sharks of the blue-black tribe have many times been seen in the bay." (Cornishman 15th October 1908)
In July 1911 a shoal (or pod) of about 60 whales became stranded at Ponsondane, Penzance. Crowds flocked to the beach to witness the stranding.
The tide was ebbing and the shoal soon became high and dry. A few got away as far as Marazion. The shoal (pod) were "Blackfish" (Killer Whale) which follow a leader known as a "Bull" which apparently had taken a wrong course. Because of the excessive summer heat and the need to prevent a menace to Public Health a series of deep pits were dug on the beach over several days and nights and the carcasses rolled in. (Story recalled by Herbert Richards in the Cornishman 26 June 1941).
In 1913, at Looe, East Cornwall, a Blue Shark was reportedly killed by a dog. The Shark weighing about 20lb had become trapped in a small tidal pool. The dog leapt into the pool and bit the shark on the side whereupon a five minute struggle saw the Retriever triumph and drag the shark ashore. (Aberdeen Journal 8.9.1913 and Daily Express.)
In 1927 the carcase of a grampus or killer whale was found by coastguards off Portreath. Parts were sent to the Natural History Museum. (Cornishman 2nd February 1927.)
An informative article was written in the Cornishman on 22 June 1939 by historian Herbert Richards.
In response to reports of large basking sharks being seen, harpooned, and landed near Lands End, Mr Richards wrote about the Blue Shark, classed as a frequent visitor to Cornish waters. It was found mainly 10-20 miles west of the Scillies, where they were often caught in nets, particularly from May to early summer.
As summer progressed these sharks often came closer to land.
He described how they were often seen by the Mackerel Drifters.
In the late 1800s he had the opportunity to observe them from the boats, but by 1939 these fishing boats had disappeared. He described how the old fishermen used to say that they followed the old sailing ships home from America, and he thought that their home was in the mid Atlantic. He described how they became caught up with their pilot fish, in the nets, and that they were ravenous for food, being forever on the prowl. They were 5-7 feet in length.Their mouth is underneath their head and they have to turn over to swallow their prey. They would often swarm around the lugger when the fish were in the nets, often biting chunks off the nets and swallowing fish and net.
The damage to the fish and nets was said to have caused the mackerel fishermen to finish their season much earlier than they would normally do. If caught the sharks would be used as crab bait.
On calm days many of these sharks could be seen with their single dorsal fins racing in different directions. They were often attracted by offal thrown overboard and were caught with lines and hooks. However he adds that although they were voracious he knew of occasions when men had been thrown overboard and not harmed by them. Old sailors described to him how the sharks would follow boats for miles to get pieces of salt pork thrown overboard.
In a Western Times article of 22nd November 1834 the Newlyn Mackerel fishermen caught in their nets, what was believed to be a hammer-head shark which measured 9` 10" in length, 3` 7" in girth, with a back fin 16" long & side fins 18" long. The upper part of the tail was 3` long and the lower part of the tail 18" long. The head was 3` across, with a single bone across it and an eye at each end. It had 3 rows of upper teeth and 2 lower rows. When brought into the boat it was already almost dead.
The Basking Shark is well known today in Cornwall but as recently as the 1870s it was poorly understood.
It was recorded that "little or nothing is known about the habits of this fish, which is probably the largest among known sharks".
It was then thought that they swallowed their prey alive and when floating on the sea, as they often did, they were often mistaken for whales. The largest then recorded in Cornwall measured 31` 8".
In Ireland the fishermen regularly speared them to obtain oil from their Livers.
(Western Daily Press March 13 1875)
Below; Basking Sharks off Gwenver Beach June 2007
Below; A group of 5 Basking Sharks off Gwenver Beach near Sennen Cove 2007
Photographs by Robert Felce 2007. May not be reproduced without permission.
An article was written in the Bristol Mercury and Daily Post October 4th 1878
" Not a year, hardly a month passes but a shark spoils a British Ship of one or more of their hands", and many ships logs contain details of encounters with sharks, whose size was often greatly exaggerated.
These tales however, relate mainly to the Tropics and sub Tropics where it was said that "... there was no better fun than fishing for a shark with a hook the size of a pitchfork and a huge piece of pork by way of bait. Harpooning the creature is also an exciting amusement, though seldom practised... There is no better form of rifle practice than to shoot at him from the stern with explosive bullets. If you miss him he still follows on" ...and it was often said that a shark knew when there was a dying man on board.
It was also written that ... "hardly a year passes without there being on some part of our coast news of a shark quite large enough to inflict fatal injuries, the risk although not serious is yet one which it as well to bear in mind."
(Bristol Mercury and Daily Post 4th October 1878)
In July 1881 the Royal Cornwall Gazette reported that a white shark had been caught in nets off Portloe, Roseland Peninsula. It was brought ashore and opened up where it was found to contain 19 live young sharks.(Royal Cornwall Gazette 8th July 1881)
(Note also ; Info site http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Great_white_shark)
In September 1887 a 5` blue shark was caught by rod and line off North Cornwall and taken by rail to Piccadilly, London where it caused alarm to many viewing a shark for the first time and no doubt contributed to the dread of such creatures whilst bathing in the sea, something which has continued ever since.
(Royal Cornwall Gazette 30th September 1887) (No doubt also with contributions from the Telegraph System passing news articles)
In 1892 it was reported that in Cornwall, an epidemic of blue sharks had naturally paralysed the bathing machine industry.
(Yorkshire Post 18th August 1892.)(Edinburgh Evening News 19th August 1892)
A similar situation occurred in the Solent in 1896. A large group of Dolphins were mistaken for sharks.(Morning Post 23rd May 1896)
A "Penny-a-Liner" was a contributor to Local Newspapers, but was not on the staff. They were paid a penny a line. They often used to "spin out" their news.(www.infoplease.com/dictionary) On 25th August 1898 the Cornishman reported that "a Penny-a- liner" had frightened the public, especially the bathing part of it, by writing a statement that Sharks positively swarm in the water between Plymouth and the Lands End... " there is no case on record in which persons have been injured by sharks off the coast of England."
(Cornishman 25th August 1898)
In the Royal Cornwall Gazette of 9th August 1900 Mr Matthias Dunn of Mevagissey wrote of the Blue shark, that he knew of more than one occasion that 100 Drift mackerel Boats with 500 men had been driven off the water by the persistent violence of these sharks at the mouth of the English Channel. They are less aggressive towards pilchard shoals, and are not keen to be in shallow water.
On the 14th September 1891 the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette reported that the Mounts Bay Fishing Lugger, the Eliza had caught a shark off the LIzard. It was 16 foot in length 7 foot round and weighed 12 cwt. It was landed on the beach at Penzance where it was left.
On the 17th September 1891 the Cornishman reported this catch by Captain Richard Harvey of the Eliza. The shark had become caught in the boats nets and was too large to lift without other tackle. It was allowed to drown and then hauled on board and taken to Penzance where older fishermen identified it as a Fox Shark. It was exhibited on the beach opposite the Mounts Bay Hotel.
It was reported in the Daily Mail on June 8th 1907 that a man called John Luke was walking past the quay on the River Camel at Wadebridge when he saw a fish leap 8`-10` out of the water. It landed on the bank where the tide had receded and was found to be a young Blue Shark 5` 3" in length and weighing 50lb.
In 1912 it was reported that Mounts Bay was infested with Sharks. On the 29th August 1912, under the headline "Lord St. Levan The shoal of sharks in Mounts Bay" the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser reported the Presidential Speech of Dr Thomas Hodgkin, at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society in Falmouth in which there was, among other subjects, discussion about variable weather and climate changes.(eg Ice Fields in the Atlantic. 1912 was also the year of the Titanic disaster)
In response to the speech Lord St. Levan said that in 1785 and 1787 there was a tremendous influx of the great white Indian Shark in the English channel and in particular in the Mounts Bay. This year (1912) the same thing had happened and that he had had "the opportunity to see a number of these unwelcome strangers at close quarters. He had been almost close enough to touch them and he had seen at least six within a mile from the shore each between 20 and 30 feet long and of corresponding bulk. As far as he could make out they were the white Indian shark"
On the 30th August 1912 the Western Gazette reported that Lord St. Levan, on his daily cruise had seen a shark between 25-30 feet in length. It was later seen from the Mount itself and legs of pork were unsuccessfully used as bait in an attempt to capture it. It was then found that the Mounts Bay contained a shoal of between 30 and 40 sharks. One shark was fired at, jumping some 8 feet out of the water and disappeared.Another was seen to be harpooned, broke the rope and made off.
On 31st August 1912 the Gloucester Journal reported that Fishermen in Cornwall were alarmed by the presence of sharks in Mounts Bay, and that although they were not unknown in Western waters they have never been seen to the sizes of those of the last few days.
Lord St. Levan commissioned his yacht the "St. Michael" for the purpose of hunting the unwanted visitors and he had recently had the most exciting of times. He had scoured the coast from Lands End to the Lizard with a gun and harpoon and attacked the sharks. Many of the shoal had been killed but the largest had evaded them. One harpoon struck the hide of a large shark but failed to penetrate it.
In May 1926 two men named Vinnicombe and Rees of Mylor harpooned a 14` 6", half ton Shark south of the Manacle Rock. A second shark, 25 foot long was harpooned but broke away. Fishermen who were using hand lines near St. Anthony Lighthouse were driven towards the rock by an angry shark.(Gloucester Citizen 28th May 1926).
In October 1937 the Mayor of Falmouth ,Mr C Chard, was working as a diver in St. Ives Bay, laying sewage pipes.At a depth of 30 feet he looked up to see a 20` long Shark gnawing the rope used to bring the diver to the surface. On the surface the workers felt something tugging the rope and began to haul the rope to the surface where they found that it had been bitten in two. The diver was brought up with the airline where he said that the Shark had remained there for some time.(Western Daily Press and Bristol Mirror 30th October 1937)
The Western Morning News reported the incident, which put the Shark at least 14 feet in length. Mr Chard said that in the First War,he was a Navy Diver and during that time he had never had a more thrilling experience.(Western Morning News 30th October 1937)
In 1938 the Western Morning News reported an incident in shallow water in Penzance Harbour which was actually one of the few to reveal a dangerous side to Sharks on the Coast.
The headline read "Shark Chases Children. Fought with knife on beach. Heroic Penzance rescue."
On 9th August 1938 a group of children were reportedly chased from the sea at Penzance towards the Abbey Slip pursued by a 5`shark which came up between the group. A man, George Marks of Quay Street Penzance witnessed what was happening and ran into the water with a knife and after a fierce struggle killed it. The shark was believed to be a juvenile blue shark.(Western Morning News and Daily Gazette August 10th 1938)
(There were no indications of injuries)
It must be said that incidents such as that reported at Penzance are very rare occurrences.
It was often the case that Blue Sharks became a nuisance to pilchard, herring and Mackerel fishermen. In an article in the Cornishman they were described by many fishermen as "... a Confounded nuisance which could be really wicked when brought aboard jumping all over the place".
The men had to keep a close eye on them. Some men have had narrow escapes, only thick leather sea-boots saving them from injury. (What might be called quite a restrained response!)
It was reported that a member of the long-liner Asthore (Often crewed by Mullion Fishermen) was seized by the foot , fortunately without injury.
The head of a fish was often removed from the water on the line and it was not unusual to see a shark almost leap out after it, as the fish left the water. (Cornishman 31st August 1950)
2.A selection of relevant Information articles chosen at random from the internet
http://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/home.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2185923/Baby-blue-shark-spotted-shallows-beach-Wales.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/187.shtml
http://britishseafishing.co.uk/thresher-shark/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18270997
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14657123
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/360474/Great-white-shark-warning-for-UK
http://www.stopextinction.org/top10/withoutanet/173-great-white-shark.html
http://www.sharktrust.org/en/basking_shark_project
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Great_white_shark
Article by Robert Felce (BSc Hons)
2013
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