A stunned London resident caught video footage of a shark swimming in the River Thames.
Charlotte Webb was out for a walk in the city with her friend, Olivia Kaliszewska, when they noticed something unusual in the water. At first, they mistook it for a bean bag.
However, upon closer inspection, they realized it was a shark and managed to film the fin cutting through the shimmering river.
The sighting occurred near Hammersmith Bridge in West London on Monday, July 22.
Experts believe the fin belongs to a tope shark, a critically endangered species that can grow up to 6 feet 3 inches long. The tope shark is one of five shark species known to inhabit the Thames.
“I had no clue that sharks could swim in the Thames,” said 25-year-old Charlotte Webb in an interview with Need To Know.
“Initially, I thought it was fake or just a floating bean bag. My best friend Olivia joked that it might be a crocodile instead of a shark.
Judging by the size, which seemed around 5 feet, it’s likely a tope shark, according to what people have said. I’m terrified of sharks, so this just reinforced my decision to avoid the sea entirely.
We went back to eating our sweet potato fries and decided it would be amusing to share the video online.”
Despite the startling encounter, Londoners have nothing to fear from tope sharks, as they are harmless to humans.
It is believed these sharks use the river as a nursery area after giving birth.
Lulu commented, “Tope sharks in the Thames can grow up to 6 feet, according to a quick Google search.”
Shan Been added, “There are five species of shark in the Thames.”
Another user noted, “Blue, tope, smooth, and basking sharks are all found in the Thames.”
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