On Saturday, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) closed St Ouen's Bay in Jersey for 45 minutes after a shark measuring 10 to 12 feet was spotted. This incident follows the recent stranding and death of a rare smalltooth sand tiger shark at Grève d'Azette.
The 45-minute closure of St Ouen's Bay
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) took the unprecedented step of raising a red flag across St Ouen's Bay after lifeguards spotted a large, grey animal approximately 40 metres from the shoreline. According to the report, the animal entered the bay from the west at roughly 10:40 am and was estimated by RNLI lifeguard Tom Rolls to be between 10 and 12 feet in length.
The sighting was particularly close, with the shark swimming directly beneath the board of a lifeguard named Nick . While beachgoers reacted with surprise, Tom Rolls noted that the public remained calm during the evacuation. This event marks the first time in Jersey's history that a beach has been closed specifically due to a shark sighting.
A 600kg smalltooth sand tiger shark at Grève d'Azette
The disruption at St Ouen's Bay occurred shortly after a separate, more tragic event at Grève d'Azette. Marine Mammal Medics and British Divers Marine Life Rescue responded to a stranding where they discovered a smalltooth sand tiger shark trapped in a tidal pool. The animal, which weighed 600kg and measured four metres in length, died shortly after rescuers arrived.
The smalltooth sand tiger shark is an elusive, deep-water species typically found in tropical oceans and is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. As the report says, these animals are naturally uncommon, and there has been very little research conducted on the speces to date.
How Super El Niño is pushing Great Whites northward
These sightings in Jersey align with broader scientific warnings regarding the "Super El Niño" phenomenon.. Scientists suggest that this event could trigger a surge in great white shark attacks by creating warmer-than-average sea temperatures, which encourages the species to shift its range further north.
The danger posed by such a shift is underscored by the physical capabilities of these apex predators. While a human can swim at a maximum of 5mph, the report notes that a great white can reach 25mph, and the mako shark can hit bursts of 60mph. Furthermore, the great white's 2.5-inch serrated teeth and 15 rows of constantly regrowing teeth make even an exploratory bite potentially fatal for humans.
The unidentified species and the 2023 UK records
Despite the detailed observations by RNLI lifeguards,the specific species of the shark at St Ouen's Bay remains unconfirmed. This lack of identification leaves a critical gap in understanding whether the sighting was another rare tropical visitor or a more common local species.
The appearance of such predators is a burgeoning trend; the first confirmed records of smalltooth sand tiger sharks in UK and Irish waters were only published in 2023. Those records identified three individuals in the Celtic Sea and the English Channel, suggesting that the waters surrounding Jersey are becoming an increasingly viable habitat for species that were previously absent from the region .
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