Irish waters could be overrun with sharks in the next 30 years, experts have claimed.
According to reports, climate change will lead to the predators migrating to Ireland’s south and east coast as temperatures rise by 2048.
Experts say that ocean temperatures have to rise by less than 1C for the potentially deadly Blacktip and Hammerhead sharks to start living in Irish waters in 30 years’ time.
Dr Ken Collins from Southampton University told the Irish Sun: “You get great whites off the coast of South Africa where the water is colder than here, and I see no reason why we should not have them in our waters.
"It would not take much of a change in the water temperature from climate change, maybe less than one degree, for them to come here.”
Dr Collins also said that it would be likely that more sharks from warmer regions such as the Mediterranean Sea might show up here.
These include Blacktips, Sand Tigers and Hammerheads.
Blacktips are responsible for 16% of the shark attacks around Florida.
Dr Collins believes that the sharks will first show up off the coast of Cork and Wexford, which have a big seal population.
He said: “Seals are like hamburgers to sharks- fat, juicy, and meaty."
People were asked to stay out of the water after 9 ft long blue shark was spotted in shallow waters in the harbour of St Ives in England on Monday.