Was that a shark off Tigne?

A suspected shark was spotted near Sliema, close to Tigne, in a video uploaded on Friday to a Facebook group.

The shark appeared to be in a stationary position in the sea, with the footage showing a large fin appear on the surface of the water, and part of the sharks’ body visible beneath.

“Most likely a shortfin mako or, at most, a porbeagle, but the former is more probable given its agility and ease of manoeuvre, which is evident,” marine biologist and Malta’s Ocean Ambassador Alan Deidun told MaltaToday.

“Both candidate species are critically endangered in the Mediterranean and hence we are a threat to them and not the other way round,” he said. “The carcass could be a tuna, but it is difficult to say.”

One of the most well-known previous shark encounters in Malta dates back to April 1987, when fisherman Alfredo Cutajar caught a shark near Filfla that is believed to be the largest great white shark ever recorded, measuring about seven metres in length and weighing approximately 2,300 kilos.