Creatures of the deep North Sea.

Byline: By Beth Neil

News that a killer shark may be roaming the North Sea has caused waves in the marine community. But what else is harboured by the region's waters? Beth Neil found out what lurks in the deep

Chewed-up porpoises, decapitated seals and the gory remains of big fish have been washed up on North East beaches, sparking fears that a killing machine is on the loose.

Marine experts believe a mako shark, a close relative of the Great White variety made famous by the Jaws movies, is behind the murderous spree. And, here's the scary thing folks, the 12ft, 72st creatures swim at 60mph and have been known to attack humans.

But sharks off the North East coast are not new. Geordie fishermen got a fright back in 2002 after a close encounter with a hungry shark. The 14ft blue beast became tangled up with the rest of the catch in the men's nets. They brought back the giant creature, normally found around the Azores and Spain, and it went on sale at Joe's Fish Net in Denmark Street, Heaton, where adventurous customers tucked in.

And as recently as December, experts were warning that the Great White could be headed for the North Sea as global warming heats up the chilly waters. (Last year, the highest sea surface water temperature for five years was recorded off the North East coast.) But before the paddlers go potty with panic, one North East specialist recommends we take the news with a pinch of saltwater.

"I'd be very dubious about all that," laughs Paddy Lavery, a diving instructor at the Deep Blue Dive Centre in Tynemouth. "We have all sorts of weird and wonderful sealife down there, but I'm not too sure about killer sharks."

Paddy claims that most people in the region haven't a clue about the exotic creatures swimming around off the North East coast. Apparently it's not all gloomy murk beneath those notoriously choppy waters.

"We've got everything down there," says Paddy, who has six years' diving experience. "From the very small to the absolutely huge, it's all here.

"People will be surprised just how much life is here and how diverse and colourful it is. You don't need coral reefs and tropical destinations.

"There's so much colour and beauty in the North Sea and no matter how many times you dive, you will always see something new."

The cuckoo wrasse is one of Paddy's favourite creatures, with its vivid blue top and bright yellow body. "They are very common in the North Sea," he says. "As is the ballan wrasse, with its orangey, green and blue spots. Dragonets are very common, too. Lots of oranges, blues and purples."

But Paddy admits it's not all pretty colours and beauty down there.

"I've seen a lot of lumpsuckers and, as the name suggests, they're a little bit ugly-looking. And there's the wolf fish, which is a big grey thing ( very distinctive and about 1.5m long. It looks really menacing with its huge protruding front teeth."

Paddy insists the North waters are safe, but he'll never forget his experience with a deadly octopus.

"I was diving with a friend and we were handling this octopus. All of a sudden he went straight for this guy's mask and stuck to it. We were desperately trying to prise the octopus off and the mask was filling with water. That was really scary.

"But I'd encourage anyone to get out there and explore. We've got some really sociable dolphins, whales and even the odd sea horse.

"Even if you don't want to go underwater, you can see all sorts of fascinating things in rock pools."

Marine ecologist Catherine Scott says the likelihood of spotting an abundance of beasties in the North Sea in increasing.

She said: "There is evidence that the warming trend in the North Sea affects the distribution of species. We do get the mako shark in the North Sea as an occasional visitor."

She added: "When people think of sealife, they think of the Great Barrier Reef or the Mediterranean. But our ecosystem here is just as interesting."

For more information log on to www.deepbluedive.com

Name: Conger eel 

Scientific name: Conger conger

Size: 3m

Where to find one: Typically the head is all that can be seen as the eel looks out from its hiding place in rocky crevices or wreckage

Fact: Congers are normally docile unless provoked

Name: Wolf fish

Scientific name: Anarhichas lupus

Size: 120cm

Where to find one: Offshore, usually at depths of 100 to 300m near rocks

Fact: The large head is square with a large toothy mouth

Name: Lumpsucker

Scientific name::Cyclopterus lumpus

Size: 40cm

Where to find one: In fairly deep water. In spring it moves into shallow water to mate

Fact: Usually found on rocky shores and can survive in turbulent waters, clinging to rocks with its modified pelvic fins

Name: Orca or killer whale 

Scientific name: Orcinus orca 

Size: 23ft

Where to find one: In all oceans of the world, but most common in the Arctic and Antarctic

Fact: Orcas can weigh up to seven tons and live for around 40 years

Name: Cuckoo wrasse

Scientific name: Labrus bimaculatus

Size: 35cm

Where to find one: Among the kelp on rocky reefs

Fact: Inquisitive and territorial males will often swim up to divers' masks and look them straight in the eye before following them at close quarters, even taking the odd nibble on a fin strap or dangling torch on occasion

Name: Mako shark

Scientific name: Isurus oxyrinchus

Size: 12ft

Where to find one: From the upper layers down to a possible maximum depth of 150m, though oceanic in nature

Fact: Very fast, mako sharks are even able to leap out of the water

Name: Gurnard

Scientific name: Eutrigla gurnardus

Size: 40cm

Where to find one: Along the coast of Europe as far south as the Mediterranean in deep or shallow waters from a few feet deep down to about 200ft

Fact: Gurnards crawl along the sea bed looking for food with the front three rays of their pectoral fins making it look as if the fish is walking

Name: Dragonet

Scientific name: Callionymus reticulatus

Size: 11cm

Where to find one: At depths between 3m and 50m, usually in seagrass beds and areas of muddy, sandy or shell-covered bottoms

Fact: This is a small, spiny-rayed fish that lives in temperate and tropical seas. The males are larger and brightly coloured, with filament-like rays extending from the first dorsal fin. Females are dull in colour. Dragonets have smooth bodies without scales

Name: Ballan wrasse

Scientific name: Labrus bergylta

Size: 50cm

Where to find one: Around rocky reefs with moderate exposure

Fact: Wrasse are one of the few fish able to change sex. Both ballan and cuckoo wrasse always start life as females but some become males later, usually after several years of breeding as a female

Name: Common octopus

Scientific name: Octopus vulgaris

Size: 90cm

Where to find one: Just about everywhere in coastal regions of warm and tropical seas.

Fact: The most dangerous octopus is a tiny one that lives in the rock pools of Australia