A sea diver reported seeing five blue sharks, also known as killer sharks, off the coast of Penzance, Cornwall last weekend. The diver was photographing sea life when a group of blue sharks, or killer sharks, started to circle his boat, but didn’t feel in danger.
It’s rare to see blue sharks close to the coast of Britain as their feeding grounds are usually further out. The sharks are believed to have been following mackeral, which have come to Cornwall due to the warmer weather.
Even killer sharks aren’t in kill mode all the time and these were simply cruising and curious. Blue sharks are an endangered species.
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) usually inhabit deep waters in the world’s warm or tropical regions. They have very long migration routes.
Blue sharks feed mostly on small fish, cuttlefish, cod and squid; they can probably live up to 20 years, producing litters of 4-100 pups at a time, with pregnancies taking up to a year. Female blue sharks are larger than the males, with lengths across the sexes ranging from 6-11 feet.
Sharks are often reputedly spotted around the coasts of Cornwall, but the most common shark actually found on a regular basis are the harmless basking sharks.
Images public domain:blue sharks
