A shark in the Thames? A 1.5-meter-long creature swam to the capital of Britain (4 photos + 1 video)

Charlotte Webb, 25, was walking along Hammersmith Bridge in west London with her friend Olivia Kaliszewska when she noticed something unusual. She captured a fin cutting through the water.





The British women probably saw a soup shark. The species can reach 2 m in length and is endangered.

In 2021, the Zoological Society of London discovered that the Thames was home to several species of shark: the soup shark, the starry marten and the spiny dogfish.



Webb said: "I had no idea there were sharks in the Thames. At first I thought it was a fake or a bag floating downstream. My best friend Olivia joked it was a crocodile. It looked about five feet long. From the comments, it seemed like it was a soup shark. I don't like sharks at all, so this has only reinforced my decision to never go into the sea again."





It is worth noting that the soup shark does not pose a danger to humans. These long, slender creatures are found all along the coast of Great Britain and can be identified by their grey back and white belly. They also have two dorsal fins and a distinctive serrated tail.

There have been no cases of soup sharks attacking humans, as their diet consists of fish.

video-1.5m creature swims in

A London Wildlife Trust spokesman said: "This is an amazing encounter with a rare and endangered fish, one of five species of small shark that live in the Thames. None of them pose a threat to humans and it is a shame that so many have come to fear these ancient creatures. They first appeared 450 million years ago and have been an important part of marine ecosystems ever since."

"WWT London supports conservation efforts, such as the magnificent but critically endangered basking shark (the world's second largest fish) found off our western shores."