Sussex shark: 'Undisputed' sighting of 'Great White Shark' near Goring-by-Sea in Sussex turns out to be 'just a pipe'

An image of what appeared to be a fin sticking out of the water circulated online and in national newspapers in recent days.

The photo was taken from the beach in Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex.

The Argus reported that an experienced shark fisherman said that the image was ‘an undisputed shark’.

However before you panic about Great Whites circling off our coastline, it turns out that there was a far more mundane explanation for the fin-like object sticking out of the water.

Our sister website Sussex World reports that according to Littlehampton Harbour, the 'fin' was actually the end of the Ferring Outfall pipe.

A harbour spokesperson said: ‘They say never let the truth ruin a good story but before anyone else gets carried away about the “Great White Shark fin” recently spotted off Ferring...

‘That's actually the end of the Ferring Outfall pipe which is a known hazard at low water marked by the Cardinal Buoy visible in the background of the photo.’

It is not the first time that people have thought they’ve spotted sharks off the coast in this region.

In 2017 there were fears that a Great White could be in the waters near Hayling Island – however this was debunked by an expert at the time.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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