The sighting was made by Simon Howes and Patrick Whittaker, who were both taken aback by the encounter.

The Porbeagle shark, part of the Lamnidae family, can pose a threat to humans and is one of the closest living relatives of the infamous Great whites. This endangered marine animal has been affectionately named 'Mini Jaws' by those who came to its aid.

There were concerns that the shark might be sick or injured. It was seen patrolling the waters off Aberdyfi, near Aberystwyth in mid-Wales.

"Wow, shark in Aberdyfi." exclaimed Simon.

The same shark was also sighted closer to Aberystwyth by Patrick, as reported by What's The Jam. A spokesperson for the coast guard stated: "HM Coastguard Aberystwyth were tasked at the request of MRCC Milford Haven."

They were asked "To assist the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, BDMLR, with a two-metre long juvenile Porbeagle shark swimming in the area."

The shark was thought to be ill or injured and in danger of beaching itself between the pier and the bandstand.

"The CRT were tasked to provide safety cover for BDMLR and also to provide a bit of crowd control."

the spokesperson added. Their role was "To ensure no members of the public put themselves in harm's way, or inadvertently cause the shark further distress.

"After low tide and no further sightings, 'mini jaws' had seemingly made it out of the bay, and so the CRT were stood down."

It's worth noting that Porbeagle sharks are listed as Critically Endangered globally by the IUCN.

In the UK, these creatures are safeguarded under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it unlawful to intentionally capture or kill them in British waters.

Despite porbeagles having the physical ability to attack humans, there have been very few incidents attributed to this species.