Local Towns on High Alert
Local authorities in the Kent seaside towns of Broadstairs and Whitstable have issued a high alert after a Great White shark was reportedly sighted off the coast of Kent. Dubbed “Jaws of Kent,” the shark has sent shockwaves through the garden of England as residents and tourists brace themselves for the unexpected visitor.
The last sighting was reported by a group of surfers who claimed to have had a close encounter with the shark swimming near Stone Bay, Broadstairs. They described the shark as “massive,” with a size rivalling that of a small car. Panic soon spread among other surfers locally. They saw it breach out of the water and seemed to have a seal in its mouth.
A Local surfer who was not in the water at the time but filming others said he was filming the shark. Then it just disappeared but came up out of the water about 500 metres from the surfers, and I was lucky to catch it immediately on the camera just by fluke, and it seemed to have a seal in its mouth. That seal had been seen by surfers in the surf earlier.
It had first been seen at first light near Whitstable and was spotted by a dog walker, whose dog has been swimming between the breakwaters near Red Spider, and then a large fin appeared coming towards the dog. Jules Brickit had only just moved to Whitstable this past month from London and said she never thought she would have seen a shark so big so close. It later swam away; luckily, her dog was not attacked. Another person Davy Jones spotted it and took this photo in Whitstable harbour as the shark swam around for a while before leaving and heading east. This explains how it was then spotted in Broadstairs near the surfers.
Experts from the British Shark Trust late morning have arrived in the region to investigate the sighting. The shark’s presence in the cold waters of the North Sea has not surprised marine biologists, who have speculated that it may have been drawn to the area by the large abundance of seals, its preferred prey. However, they believe it might be a juvenile white and just investigating the area. It is, however, the first sighting in England of such a predator.
Local authorities have urged the public and surfers to stay out of the water and remain vigilant. They are talking to shark experts about the possibility of the temporary closure of popular beaches in the area, but this has not yet been implemented.
However, as the afternoon comes to an end, it has been revealed that the “Jaws of Kent” is nothing more than an elaborate April Fool’s Day prank orchestrated by surfers at Kent Surf. It seems the residents of Broadstairs and Whitstable can breathe a sigh of relief and return to their usual seaside activities, at least for now. Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone!