Some fins up- a shark's tale

So who'd have thought it, that shark off the coast of Cornwall turned out to be a hoax. It was taken by a doorman while on holiday in South Africa. It was a Great White alright, it just wasn't Newquay. The doorman did it for a laugh and was surprised anyone took it seriously.

You'd have thought a journalist might have checked it first before splashing it in the papers. Maybe they didn't want to make waves. And it is silly season, when any stories get in the papers. I never believed there was a Great White off Cornwall. I spent years down there on holiday as a kid and it's far too cold too swim in the water.

My suspicions were aroused when the shark experts said it was unlikely, the locals said it was very unlikely and the tourist board said it was extremely unlikely. Well they would I suppose, I've seen Jaws and the tourist officer was virtually shepherding the kids back into the shark infested water to keep the local economy (if not the boats) afloat.The only person who I saw interviewed, who seemed to think there was a Great White in Cornwall was the owner of a boat that gives shark tours of the area. Like all predators he could sense he was about to make a killing.

I spend my life interviewing people for TV and it's always worth asking yourself as you watch the news, why the person is saying what they are saying. Are they an impartial observer or should they really declare an interest. Never mind shark bites, always listen for the sound bites.

So if you are heading down to the south west with the family, you won't be needing that shark net after all. The local sharks are all basking sharks. Now that sounds like my kind of shark, doing nothing except a bit of basking.

best wishes

Jem