Fiona Clarke just about escapes the clutches of the snow shark. Picture: Fiona Clarke.
First there was Jaws, then The Meg and now there is another chilling shark on the loose but this time much closer to home.
Those heading into the waters of one of Cairngorms National Park’s gems Loch Vaa – or should that be Loch V-aaaaahhhhhhh – be warned.
What onlookers are describing as a snow shark has been spotted circling just a short distance from the shoreline of the loch just north of Aviemore.
Fiona Clarke and Nicky Howell come face to face with the monster from the deep in Loch Vaa. Picture: Highlens (https://highlens.co.uk/)
Wild swimmer Fiona Clarke just managed to escape its jaws after going for a dip in the snow and freezing temperatures yesterday afternoon as her picture shows.
The fantastic snow sculpture bears an uncanny resemblance to a Great White Shark about to swallow its prey whole.
Fiona, from Aviemore, told the Strathy: “It took a couple of hours to create the shark.
“About halfway through the its creation, Rory Whytock, from Grantown, and his sister Heather Cameron-Whytock turned up.
Rory Whytock helps to creates the ice hole for the wild swimmers. Picture: Highlens (https://highlens.co.uk/)
“Rory had a dip in the pre-cut water hole next to me.
“We started chatting and they kindly offered to help out with the shark creation.
“My friend Nicky Howell, from Kingussie, joined us just in time for the shark dip and Rory was so keen he put his wet swim stuff back on for a second dip!”
A year ago Fiona Clarke was catch of the day, also at Loch Vaa. Picture: Fiona Clarke.
Photographer Travis Toy, of Highlens, said: “I was out in Aviemore getting some content of the frozen lochs and other wintry scenes when we bumped into Fiona and asked if she was going for a wild swim.
“She said kind of… then told us about her plans to make the snow shark.
“We went and got some other photos and came back to capture the images of the build and fantastic final result.”
Some Strathy readers may recall that Fiona was catch of the day when she was hooked by a penguin fishing at a snow hole created at Loch Vaa at the start of last year.
So what does she have in mind for 2027? Fiona revealed her next ice project could be even more ambitious.
She said, perhaps with tongue in cheek: “The next one is going to be Nessie with a See You Jimmy hat.”
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