A giant shark described as a 'megalodon' which was seen circling a cruise ship in the Atlantic has been identified as the same species which is often seen in waters off the South West.
Stunning footage shows the huge mammal swimming around a cruise ship full of tourists, while people on deck scream and shout, reports The Daily Star.
The video, uploaded to TikTok by US musician Alex Albrecht, has been watched more than 30 million times since it was uploaded on Tuesday (May 25), and shows hundreds of guests clamouring to the side of the ship to get a closer look.
The crowd gasp and film the shark on their phones, with some saying "Oh my god" and "Woah".
Viewers were either stunned, absolutely terrified, or both, with some likening the shark to the extinct “Megalodon” which grew up to 18 metres in length.
One person, who appeared to be a bit frightened, admitted: "Them standing that close gives me anxiety."
"Nah I am scared to jump in god that is so scary," said a second viewer.
Someone else commented: "Isn't that megalodon?"
Meanwhile, many shark fans identified the gigantic creature as a basking shark, a giant species with dappled skin that reaches up to 12 metres in length and can weigh six tonnes.
Basking sharks are harmless to humans and not aggressive and feed on zooplankton by swimming with their mouth open to catch them.
And they can be spotted around the southwest coast, most recently at Torquay harbour.
The amazing clip, which was taken at the outer harbour next to Haldon Pier around lunchtime, shows a large animal underwater approaching one person on a board, who quickly gets down on their knees.
The shark changes direction at the last minute before swimming off.
Meanwhile, Cornwall saw a record number of basking sharks swim near its coastline last month.
It is believed that the harmless invasion is a result of the reduced marine traffic due to the Covid lockdowns.
Among those who caught a glimpse of sharks recently was a marine explorer who said he saw five basking sharks during one trip out on his kayak off the coast of Cornwall, for the first time since 2013.
