Dorset is known to many as a hub for wildlife which attracts people to the area every year, but rarely does the potential sighting of a shark cross people’s minds.
However, a handful of beachgoers noticed a fin pointing out of the water on Weymouth Beach at around 10.30am, which swam close to the shoreline for a number of minutes.
Asa Dixon, who lives in Weymouth, was walking on Weymouth Beach towards the Greenhill side, when he noticed the animal in the water.
He said: “I was just sat down by the beach and I saw a lady and she was looking at something. So I went to have a look. It was like a shark and I thought to myself, is that someone snorkelling or something.
“It definitely felt like a shark, not a dolphin and it was in such shallow water. I swim on that beach. It all felt a bit surreal.
“Quite a few people started gathering and it swam shallow for a minute or two. There was one lady swimming a bit further on and a woman was waving over at her.”
“It made my day to be honest,” he said.
A spokesperson for The Shark Trust confirmed that the species is likely to be a Basking shark which are commonly seen in the Southwest.
They said: “We have a fantastic diversity of sharks that visit British waters. Based on the available footage, and from the way this shark is moving through the water along with the shape of its dorsal and caudal (tail) fins, this appears to be a juvenile Basking Shark.
The shark swimming near to the shore in Weymouth (Image: Asa Dixon)
“This species can grow to around 10m in length and is a seasonal visitor to British waters typically between March to October. While hotspots are traditionally considered to be Devon and Cornwall, the Isle of Man, west coast of Scotland, and Ireland – the species has previously been observed in Dorset waters.
“We encourage all sightings to be reported to the Shark Trust’s Basking Shark Project to enable us to better understand their movement through our waters.”