A shark's tooth found lodged in the body of tragic honeymooner Ian Redmond is from a Great White, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.
A report sent by South African marine scientists to officials in the Seychelles says it has unmistakably serrated edges and a unique triangular shape, proving it belongs to the deadly predator. It is news locals and holidaymakers have been fearing – but the Seychelles government is expected to cynically claim it is good for the isles as it means it is “not one of theirs” and may have left the area. It comes as Ian’s shattered wife Gemma, 27, returned to Britain yesterday – making a heartbreaking visit to the cottage the couple had spent two years renovating ready to move into after their honeymoon. Doctors removed the fragmented tooth from Ian’s body and sent images to the Natal Sharks Board in South Africa. Scientists there found it matched the triangular razor-sharp teeth belonging to the predator which featured in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws horror films. They have flown to the Seychelles to carry out further tests and help in the hunt for the shark, which also killed French tourist Nicolas Virolle two weeks before. The teeth of a Great White are different to those of tiger or bull sharks, which are like a curved blade. Using a complex formula in which the size of the tooth is measured to work out the length of the shark, scientists believe it’s a juvenile shark around 10 foot long. Geremy Cliff from the Natal Sharks Board said: “The fragment, although very small, suggests the shark may be a Great White. We really need to examine the victim because it is better to see the actual wounds rather than photographs. “The Seychelles government has asked us to assist in any way we can in finding the shark. “We are not shark hunters. We are scientists and we want to help Seychelles authorities do what is best to protect their beaches.” Ian, 30, was attacked on Tuesday at the idyllic resort of Anse Lazio beach on Praslin Island. His wife Gemma was on the beach and heard his screams but was helpless to save him. Despite the warning the shark is a Great White, officials will claim it is good news for tourism. A Great White hasn’t been spotted there since 1938 and the government will insist that means the shark strayed in from foreign waters and has probably left. A source said: “There is a sense of relief among the authorities that this is a Great White. The species has not been seen in the area for more than 50 years so officials believe it simply strayed in, launched a random attack and will be long gone. It’s not one of their sharks.” However fishermen last night warned they face a race against time to catch the shark, which they believe will strike again in eight days’ time. Darrel Green, the fisherman leading the hunt, has studied the sea patterns around island. He said: “We’ve studied the timing of the attacks. The Frenchman was bitten two days after the new moon, and Ian two days after a full moon. The next high tide like that one is around August 29. That’s when we expect to shark to come back and we are doing all we can to catch it.” A £2,500 bounty has been put on the shark’s head by hotel owners desperate for tourists to visit. Fishermen have placed 250 baited hooks where Ian was killed. One fisherman said: “We have to catch it. I’m not giving up. I’ll be out there every night and so will others. Everyone is afraid of the damage this can do to Seychelles.” Reports have emerged to suggest it may have been lurking in the waters for more than six months. Yesterday, a Facebook site RIP Ian Redmond was brimming with messages of sympathy.
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