St. Ouen's Bay in Jersey was temporarily closed to the public on Saturday after lifeguards spotted a large shark in the water, marking the first time in the island's history that a beach has been closed due to a shark sighting. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) closed the bay for 45 minutes after lifeguards observed a large, grey animal about 40 meters offshore.
Lifeguard Tom Rolls estimated the creature to be between 10 and 12 feet long. He stated that lifeguards received a report from a colleague at Watersplash who initially believed it to be a joke, but persistent reports from the public confirmed multiple sightings. Unable to immediately identify the species, lifeguards raised a red flag, signaling a closure of the entire bay.
The shark eventually departed the bay heading south, and no beachgoers were harmed. Rolls recounted that the shark swam directly beneath a colleague's surfboard, and appeared to be close to the surface. The shark was described as dark grey and approximately 10 to 12 feet in length before it quickly swam away.
Jesse Heddercott, a surf instructor, was present during the incident and described the situation as "pretty crazy" given that "nothing like this has ever happened in Jersey before." He initially mistook the animal for a tuna before it was confirmed as likely a shark by lifeguards.
This sighting occurred shortly after an endangered shark, identified as a smalltooth sand tiger shark, was found stranded in a tidal pool at Grève d'Azette beach in Jersey. This species is typically found in warm, tropical oceans and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The first confirmed records of this species in UK and Irish waters were published in 2023, with sightings potentially linked to warmer sea temperatures causing a northward shift in their range.