A DORSET photographer was shocked when she stumbled across a small shark off the coastline.

Dorset Camera Club member Donna Bailey was walking along Highcliffe beach when she spotted a smoothound shark swimming in shallow waters on June 26. 

Dr Georgia Jones, founder of SharkStuff, said: “It is a smoothound shark, they have flat crushing plates instead of pointed teeth and they feed on crabs.”

Speaking on the discovery, Donna said: “I thought it was just a smoothound but googled it and the markings on it were a starry smoothound shark. 

“It was incredible to be that close, it was swimming around my feet.  I didn’t want it to be washed up on the stones so stayed close to encourage it back out deeper.

"I was there around 1.30pm yesterday, it was swimming around for at least 30 minutes.  There was a lot of fish jumping activity close to shore for a while too.”

The Smoothound shark is classified as vulnerable by the International Union of Conservation for Nature and can reach a maximum age of 24 years.

The smoothound shark species look similar to the starry smoothound, spiny dogfish, tope, and blue shark.

The species of shark is harmless to the public.