WATCH: After the Hayling 'shark' another sighting in the south
The sinister silhouette was filmed unusually close to the front in St Ives, Cornwall.
But unlike suggestions that a great white shark could be lurking near Hayling, onlookers speculated that the Cornish visitor was a basking shark, or a blue shark while some thought it was a mako or a porbeagle.
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Hide AdWhatever it was, local resident Dawn Norris, who captured it on video, said she was relieved she was not in the water with it.
She posted her film online with the message: "Glad we didn't meet this one when we were clowning around here yesterday."
Dawn, 52, lives close to the harbour and often goes paddle-boarding there.
She added: "It was swimming really slowly so I hope it's not injured.
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Hide Ad"There are seals there all the time but this definitely wasn't one.
"I live 20ft from the harbour and spend a lot of time near the water.
"Sharks don't normally come close in the summer because of all the motorboats and propellers.
"It's very unusual it's so close to the shoreline."
Susan Vickers wrote: "Judging by the length of the pectoral fins this isn't a Blue, they are an offshore species usually in large shoals.
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Hide Ad"It could be the same juvenile Basking Shark that was in St Ives area last week although looking at it it's more likely to be a Mako or Porbeagle.
"As this year is a big year for mackerel it's most probably one of those two."