We might see other species moving in response to prey movements but itвЂ™s not something we can say for certain.вЂќДoherty also warned that Atlantic fishing вЂ“ unregulated in the high seas вЂ“ continued to be a check on shark species reaching British waters. He said: вЂњSome studies are showing plankton blooms starting to shift polewards in reaction to temperature changes. Photograph: Charles Hood/AlamyДЄccording to Dr Phil Doherty, a researcher at the University of Exeter who is investigating what influences the movement and migration of sharks, rising sea temperatures will not automatically lead to new species arriving because it is not yet known what tolerance different shark species have for different water temperatures, or how prey species may be affected by warmer waters. It doesnвЂ™t mean itвЂ™s likely.вЂќДЄ diver with a blue shark off Penzance, Cornwall, in 2015. вЂњWe may perhaps start getting more southerly species, such as some species of hammerhead perhaps, but given that Cornwall is such a crossroads in terms of water temperature and salinity, many things would be possible. There have always been sharks here and in years gone by there would have been many more. Most people are more sensible, and now if they see a shark itвЂ™s a massive privilege rather than anything scary. She added: вЂњIn the 1970s and 80s it was all Jaws fever. ItвЂ™s utterly spectacular, like nothing youвЂ™ve seen вЂ“ a tsunami of tuna charging towards you.вЂќ If they are feeding en masse, charging through bait fish, they break the surface and you get this writhing mass of fish.

вЂњPeople think that tuna are little and come in tins.

Then they got hammered for fishing before EU controls have really helped bluefin stocks recover,вЂќ said Jones. Though 2018 has been a poor year for sightings of basking sharks in Cornish waters, according to Jones, over the past three years her boat has encountered many more common dolphins as well as bluefin tuna. вЂњAll this talk of sharks along the coast вЂ“ the only sharks youвЂ™re likely to see are basking sharks.вЂќ вЂњOccasionally youвЂ™ll see a blue shark at the surface but they are certainly never patrolling the beaches looking for a tourist to eat,вЂќ said Hannah Jones of Marine Discovery, who runs wildlife watching trips from Penzance. This month, footage of a blue shark swimming in St Ives harbour excited locals in Cornwall and experts, who say this pelagic вЂ“ deep water вЂ“ species is more commonly found 10 miles offshore. Last year saw what some say is the first British shark attack on a surfer when a man was left with a bloodied thumb after encountering a 3ft-long smooth hound shark. Marine biologists say there is no scientific evidence of great whites arriving вЂ“ and no risk of shark attacks.

Peirce has investigated nearly 100 claimed sightings of great whites in British waters and found fewer than 10 of them to be credible. вЂњOur conditions in Britain are already perfect and warming waters are not going to help them.вЂќ вЂњMost experts agree that the real conundrum with great white sharks is not whether they are likely to start rocking up but why they are not here,вЂќ he said. Collins looked at other recent studies to compile a list of 10 possible new arrivals, including the great hammerhead, blacktip and bigeye thresher вЂ“ but not the great white.ДЄccording to Richard Peirce, a shark campaigner and author, rising sea temperatures around the UK will not increase the likelihood of great whites arriving. Earlier this year, scientists published evidence that tiger sharks off the coast of eastern Australia were most abundant in sea temperatures of 22C (72F), with less activity at higher and lower temperatures.

Deep blue shark last sighting