A suspected shark has been spotted swimming in the River Thames in London.
Shocked onlookers filmed the shark fin cutting through the water and posted it on social media.
Footage on TikTok had the caption “Is this the end?” and prompted a frenzy among users who feared a recently released horror film was coming to life.
@charlottewebbb Is this the end? #shark #thames #sharkattack #london
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Under Paris was released on Netflix earlier in the year and is about a scientist who has to save the French capital after realising a shark is swimming in the River Seine.
The woman who captured the Thames footage, Charlotte Webb, was walking near Hammersmith Bridge on Monday, July 22 when she was stunned to see the fin in the water.
"I had no idea sharks swam in the Thames. I thought it was fake or a bean bag floating along at first,” Ms Webb, 25, said as quoted by MailOnline and other publications.
"My best friend Olivia [Kaliszewska] said it was definitely not a shark and joked that it was a crocodile. It looked around 5ft, which makes it a tope shark.
"I absolutely hate sharks so it just confirmed my decision to never go in the sea again. We carried on eating our sweet potato fries and thought it would be funny to upload it online."
The fin is thought to be that of a tope shark — a critically endangered animal that can grow up to 6ft 3in length and luckily considered harmless to humans. Such sharks are believed to use the river as a nursery after giving birth.
Viewers of the TikTok footage, which had received more than 83,000 likes at the time of writing, have expressed their concerns.
One wrote: “I mean, that’s fine. The sharks can have it. I sure as hell won’t be swimming in the Thames any time soon” while another added: “I think there’s greater risks in the Thames than sharks.”
Others compared the mini clip to the Netflix film.
“Under Paris is happening in London,” one said, while another added: “Under Paris really was a warning.”
The Utah-based Ocearch, which has tracked 437 marine animals, said in 2023 that Ireland and Cornwall were perfect environments for great white sharks in the summer. This is because sea temperatures are often around 16C.
Chris Fischer, founder of Ocearch, told The Times: "We believe that Mediterranean white sharks should be moving north to feed on seals, like all the other populations we have worked on. We believe they should be moving up past Brest [in Brittany] and Cornwall."
