Crewmates on the Plymouth Marine Safari had a rare encounter when they took their tourist boat out in Devon. When they spotted a fin, they didn’t expect to see this majestic predator
Sophie Roberts Head of Social Newsdesk
09:02, 01 Jun 2026
You can see different varieties of sharks in UK waters (stock image)(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Along Plymouth’s waterfront and the wider Devon coast, the sea is rarely just a blue backdrop. These waters sit where the English Channel meets the Atlantic influence, creating a rich mix of habitats – sheltered estuaries and saltmarsh, rocky shores, seagrass beds, reefs and wrecks – that support an eye-catching variety of marine life.
On a single day, you might spot grey seals loafing on tidal ledges, dolphins slicing through the Sound, and seabirds diving after baitfish, while rockpools reveal miniature worlds of anemones, crabs and darting fry. But every now and then, there are bigger surprises too.
When the Plymouth Marine Safari headed out for a boat trip last Friday, crew members spotted a fin in the water. While it could have been mistaken for a dolphin at first glance, the skipper soon realised it was a large shark.
On its official Instagram page, the company explained: “Well…. On Friday, something out of the ordinary happened on one of our 4-hour sunset safaris here in Plymouth. After not being able to find any fins for over half of the trip, we were desperately trying to find some marine life for our guests.”
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They continued: “Skipper Danny suddenly spotted a splash or two… but no dolphins to be seen. We headed over regardless and all of a sudden we saw a fin come up in the distance that looked to be just cruising along the surface and making its way towards us.
“What did we have? As confirmed by skipper Kev – A PORBEAGLE shark!!!!!!”
Porbeagle sharks are large, powerful mackerel sharks found in cold-to-temperate waters of the North Atlantic and parts of the Southern Hemisphere. In UK and Irish waters, they’re an offshore species but can turn up seasonally in the Celtic Sea, western approaches and sometimes the English Channel, following prey.
Porbeagles are close relatives of the great white shark and have similar torpedo-shaped bodies, conical snouts and crescent-shaped tails. However, they max out at around 12 feet, compared to great whites that can reach 19 feet and weigh thousands of pounds.
It’s worth remembering that sharks are not cause for panic. While you should be cautious around large predatory sharks like porbeagles, encounters with swimmers are very rare in UK waters and confirmed attacks on people are extremely uncommon. Most sightings are from boats (anglers, divers, wildlife tours) rather than from shore.
Porbeagle sharks can be spotted in UK waters, as seen by Friday’s boat trip (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
What’s more, porbeagles are essential to maintaining balance in marine systems by regulating prey populations and supporting biodiversity.
Plymouth Marine Safari’s post garnered 2,500 likes and people were very excited to see the shark in British waters.
One gushed: “Eeek, so so cool. I would have fainted.” Another said: “What an insane start to the UK wildlife season.”
A third wrote: “What a privilege, amazing.” Meanwhile, others branded the experience “epic”, “incredible” and “so awesome”. We have to agree with them!