A TEAM of experts are set to patrol the UK's seas for great white sharks after one was reportedly spotted close to a popular tourist beach.
Scientists from Ocearch are planning the expedition for September 2022, hoping to prove that great white sharks frequent British waters after the potential sighting at Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex.
Local James Venn, 42, spotted a triangular fin in the water on February 4 before quickly sending images to experienced shark fisherman Graeme Pullen.
Mr Pullen claimed the mystery creature was "an undisputed shark" and it could be a "small, immature great white" searching for food.
And now the world's foremost experts in sharks, Ocearch, are expected to head to the UK.
Come September, marine biologists and shark experts from the US-based group will patrol the area off the British coast for the huge predators according to the Daily Star.
It's expected that the scientists will chum British waters for four and half weeks to try and lure any sharks in the area up to the surface.
The group have not currently revealed the exact dates they will be in British waters to identify the beast.
Venn, who took the viral photos, said: "I couldn't make out what it was so I followed it along the shore.
"At the time I thought it was a seal but when I looked at the photos again I thought it doesn't look like a seal so it was something else."
Due to the temperature of the waters and lack of food sources, it's long been considered an impossibility for great white sharks to be found in British seas, but this could now change.
Speaking on webcam during an expedition progress update, founding chairman of Ocearch Chris Fischer said that they believed white sharks should be "in this area for their Summer and Fall feeding."
Mr Pullen, 70, has caught hundreds of species of shark off Britain during a 45-year career and agrees with Ocearch that the sharks could have come near the British coast for feeding.
He believes the picture could be a great white which came close to the shore to feed on seals and bass.
Pullen said: "Analysing the photo it is obviously a shark – this can't be disputed.
"I've always thought there was a shark there as there have been so many sightings by fishermen.
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"It can only be a small, immature great white who was looking for seals or bass to eat as they are more likely to come in close (to land) to feed.
"There is an area around Langstone and Chicester where no commercial fishing is allowed so it could be living there.
"A great white could comfortably live permanently in these waters."
A great white shark can grow to 20ft in length and weigh 5,000lbs – and they can live for 70 years.
They are also responsible for more human attacks than any other shark species.
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