Thomas Davidson was out cycling at his local park when he spotted something he “couldn’t believe.”
While looking out to Connswater River at Victoria Park, where the waterway meets Belfast Lough, he caught sight of a shark’s dorsal fin breaking the surface of the water.
“In the past I would occasionally have seen several 2-3lb mullet follow the tide,” Thomas said.
“On this occasion I saw a much larger shape in the water adjacent to Airport Road too big to be a mullet so stopped to take a closer look.
“A dorsal fin slowly broke the surface revealing that familiar profile that looked like a shark.
“I quickly took out my phone and started to video this slow-moving fish as it meandered left and right up and downstream getting mobbed by a few gulls.”
Thomas watched in awe for around half an hour as the shark zigzagged through the shallow waters.
He added: “I was now looking down on what was clearly the shape of a 4ft plus shark.
“As it continued upstream and passed underneath me went into shadow and thereafter I lost sight of it.”
It is not currently known how exactly the shark made its way into the river.
While the sighting may come as a shock to locals, wildlife researcher and activist Ruby Free explained that Northern Ireland is home to almost 40 species of sharks.
News Catch Up – Friday 16 May
The ecologist believes it may have been a smooth hound shark which is known to swim in warmer water and cited rising ocean temperatures and shifting currents as a potential cause for the shark swimming too far inland.
She said: “Often there’s a lot of panic and a bit of a frenzy about, ‘oh it’s a shark, it must be Jaws.’
“But 99% of the time, they’re not interested in humans, and actually, they’re so persecuted across the world.”
Ruby added: “They’re usually in a lot warmer waters, but with our waters warming, the area and their distribution is really changing and this is a lot of wider impacts and the ecosystem health around it.”
Thomas said he felt lucky to have witnessed the rare sight and plans to keep an eye out for any similar sightings.
“I felt very lucky to witness such a lengthy sighting and was left curious as to how far upstream it might go as the estuary goes at least as far as CS Lewis Square and maybe beyond,” he said.
“I will continue to look out for it and others in the future.”
