The sea around Strumble Head was tinged with red last Friday, as cetacean spotters witnessed what they believe was a shark attack.

Goodwick based charity Sea Trust was carrying out on one of its regular porpoise surveys at the observation point on Strumble. Participants had noted several porpoises in the tide race when they suddenly they spotted something thrashing about.

“It looked quite violent,” said Sea Trust director Cliff Benson. “I moved over to our telescope but the main action seemed to have stopped.

“What looked like the head and shoulders of an adult porpoise were moving as if held up by something beneath, pushing it along.

“It appeared and disappeared a couple of times and I just made out a red stain in the surf just before it finally went down below the surface.

“It is difficult to be absolutely certain but I think what we witnessed was a porpoise being attacked and held in its jaws by some other animal until it was dead or sufficiently subdued to be swallowed beneath the surface.”

Cliff believes that this kind of behaviour is consistent with a shark attack, with the most likely predator being a Mako Shark.

“Contrary to popular belief sharks are not uncommon in Welsh waters,” he said. “A ten foot long Mako Shark was washed up on a beach in Barmouth North Wales recently, inside which the remains of a porpoise were found. They have also been caught alive in Pembrokeshire waters by shark anglers,”

Cliff consulted Shark expert Lloyd Jones, of Haven Diving Services, who is also convinced they had witnessed a shark attack on the porpoise.

“There could be several reasons for the attack,” said Cliff. “Such as declining fish stocks from overfishing or northern migration of fish due to oceanic warming.”

He added that Sea Trust is currently campaigning to have Strumble Head designated a Special Area of Conservation by the Welsh Government in order to protect the porpoises that congregate there to feed and breed.