Sharks in Swansea Bay: The 1923 Scare
Sharks in Swansea Bay: The 1923 Scare In July 1923 , a number of national and regional newspapers—including the Daily Express —published a dramatic story under the headline “ SHARKS IN SWANSEA BAY ” , accompanied by the urgent warning “ BATHERS WARNED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST RAIDERS .” The reports suggested that the usually calm waters of Swansea Bay were suddenly threatened by the presence of two large sharks, prompting widespread concern among holidaymakers and local residents. Daily Express The alarm was said to have come from the captain of the steamer Fleetwing , who reported that two sharks, each about fifteen feet long , had followed his vessel up the Bristol Channel . According to his account, the creatures trailed the ship around Mumbles Head before disappearing suddenly near the entrance to the bay. The implication was clear: the sharks might still be somewhere in the waters off Swansea, and bathers were urged to take care. In the days that followed, newspapers noted a ...
