Huge 9ft shark spotted off the coast of Cornwall as bank holiday weekend approaches

Porbeagle sharks are potentially dangerous to humans but very rarely attack

Porbeagle sharks are frequently spotted off the coast of Cornwall (YouTube/SHark Conservation Society)

Huge 9ft sharks have been spotted by fishermen off the coast of Cornwall as the bank holiday weekend approaches.

With gaping jaws, huge teeth and large dorsal fins, the fish have been mistaken by great whites in the past but swimmers can rest assured that they are far less dangerous.

The porbeagle sharks seen swimming near Boscastle should be “handled with care” because of their large and powerful jaws but rarely attack humans, according to the Shark Trust.

Posted by Simon Hughes on Monday, 18 May 2015

Mark Nelson, an amateur fisherman from Mountain Ash in Wales, was four miles from the port when he caught one of the giant fish earlier this month.

The 400lb shark was too large to get into his boat and after battling for an hour-and-a-half, Mr Nelson measured it and let it swim away, the Telegraph reported.

Fellow angling enthusiast Simon Hughes posted pictures of the fishing trip on Facebook, saying it was “awesome” to see sharks of that size.