A reported sighting of a great white shark off the northern coast of Cornwall has turned out to have been a fake.
Kevin Keeble has admitted that his photograph of a great white supposedly in the water a mile off Newquay was actually taken during to South Africa.
The snap was taken while Mr Keeble was on a fishing trip in Cape Town and he has revealed that he never expected anyone to believe that he had sighted the creature off the coast of his home town.
He told local newspaper the Newquay Voice: "I took the picture while I was on a fishing trip in Cape Town and just sent it in as a joke. I didn't expect anyone to be daft enough to take it seriously.
"I can't believe the story went so big in the first place. I didn't even get any money out of it. If I'd have made a few quid then maybe I could have gone on another fishing trip to South Africa."
Speaking about the effect the fake sighting has had on visitors to Cornwall, tourism spokeswoman Julia Cox told BBC News: "It hasn't been detrimental, but the effect on visitor numbers hasn't been great. There have some enquiries about boat trips, but not a huge rush."
2 by 2 Holidays are specialists in safaris, holidays and travel to South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, and Mauritius. Click here for more information on holidays to Cape Town or information on Fishing holidays in Africa.
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Published: 7/25/2007
