A 9ft blue shark with a fishing hook stuck in its face has been spotted swimming in UK waters.
The creature was found by Martin Yelland, 38, who was snorkelling 25 miles off the coast of Penzance, Cornwall, when he encountered the blue shark.
The postie was delighted to spot the predator, but upset to see it had been snared by a huge lure, left sticking out its face.
Father-of-two Martin, from St Erth, Cornwall, said: "When I first saw the blue shark, I was totally buzzing.
"I've taken photos of wildlife for five years now, but there is something quite special about seeing a large shark up close.
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"I was using a fish-eye lens to take the photos with, so I needed the shark close to fill the image, which it happily obliged with.
"It is the second time I've seen blue sharks now, as I've done two trips on the boat from Penzance.
"It was sad seeing the hook in her face, and it brings to light how methods of fishing need to change.
"I surf as well, so pollution and marine litter is something that needs urgently addressing."
He swam with the shark for about an hour before heading back to shore last week.
Blue sharks can grow up to 13ft and during the summer can appear in the seas around Britain as part of their highly migratory lifestyle.
This also puts them at risk of injury or entanglement from fishing waste.
Brits don't need to fear these creatures as there has not been a documented unprovoked shark attack in British waters since 1847.
The find comes a few weeks after a fisherman caught a a record-breaking 550lb "monster" shark in British waters.
Simon Davidson, 39, fought the porbeagle shark for an hour when the predator took his bate.
The big game fisherman managed to reel in the seven-foot beast seven miles out off the Devon coast.
He beat the previous record of 507lbs as six people had to hold it down to measure it before throwing it back into the water.
The plumber, from Northamptonshire, said: "My bait got taken and I didn't think it was a big fish because it hadn't started to fight yet.
"Then I reeled it into the side of the boat and it was a real monster.
"Suddenly it took off through the water and pulled around 600 metres of my line and it was a brutal battle to pull it back in.
"It was an hour of agony. You get to the point where your legs and arms are shaking and you just think your body is going to give up.
"When you saw it in the water, you'd think it was a Great White. It's terrifying to think that sharks as huge as that are prowling our waters."
