Is there a mako shark off the Yorkshire coast?

Anyone brave enough to swim in the UK’s North Sea is warned that there could be a deadly shark on the prowl. Amazing though it may seem, wildlife experts say that a shortfin mako shark – related to the great white shark – could be moving up and down the coast following the discovery of a large number of dead porpoises with large bite marks on them. Decapitated seals have also been discovered on beaches along England’s north-east coast. According to the Daily Mail, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a warning for the area between north Lincolnshire and the Scottish borders. The newspaper quoted a spokesman as saying: “We would advise all those using the water, including surfers, fishermen and divers, to be especially careful and vigilant. There have been no reported sightings of this shark but we cannot rule out the possibility that one might be out there.” The Mail reports that Mako sharks normally prefer deep water, but that a larger number of porpoises along the shoreline – brought about by cleaner water in recent years – may have attracted the shark towards shallower parts of the sea. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad