County Basks In Tall Shark Tales

August 9, 2007

Release from: BBC News

Tall tales of great white shark sightings have put Cornwall on the map, Cornish tourism bosses admit.

But Cornwall Enterprise said tourism numbers remained largely unchanged by the extensive media coverage.

Footage of a shark breaching in the water near dolphins off St Ives is now thought to have been a porbeagle shark.

And a Newquay man has admitted his picture of a great white was not taken off the north Cornwall coast, but during a fishing trip to South Africa.

Marine survey

Tourism spokeswoman Julia Cox told BBC News: "It hasn't been detrimental, but the effect on visitor numbers hasn't been great.

"There have some enquiries about boat trips, but not a huge rush.

"I would say what it'd done is put Cornwall in the spotlight and made people more aware of what marine wildlife our coastline offers."

A recent marine survey by SeaWatch has recorded a blue shark, minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises off the South West coast since mid-July.

A porbeagle shark, often mistaken for a great white, was also recently washed up dead on the Lizard. It is thought the shark may have been caught up in fishing nets.