A smooth hammerhead shark has been spotted off the coast of Ireland for the first time in what scientists said could be a sign of ocean warming.
An Irish government research vessel spotted the shark’s tall dorsal fin in the Celtic Sea, southwest of Ireland.
Paul Connolly, director of fisheries at the Marine Institute in Galway, said: “This is an exciting encounter, especially since a rare deep-water shark nursery, 200 miles west of Ireland, was discovered by Irish scientists last year.”
Smooth hammerhead sharks grow up to 4m (13ft) long and are normally found in the tropical and temperate zones of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans but occasionally visit British waters.
The Shark Trust said the last confirmed record was in 2004 when the