Warmer sea temperatures are thought be attracting new species – including hammerhead sharks and great whites – from the Mediterranean and Africa. Mr Lane said: “Great white sharks are there now, I’m sure of it. I speak to a lot of fishermen who say they have seen them. Species like this swimming off the Devon coast would be a great thing and definitely good for my trade – people would love to see that.” He said the appearance of mackerel often signalled the presence of sharks.

“It’s to do with the mackerel, as soon as they come into the bay the larger animals will follow. It’s like a chain reaction,” he said.

However, he said it had been a quieter year generally for sightings of sharks and whales, with views of dolphins being further out to sea.

Dr Ken Collins, of Southampton University, previously an administrator of Britain’s shark-tagging project, said: “It’s likely we will be seeing more sharks spread from warmer regions such as the Mediterranean towards our waters over the next 30 years.”

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