Rare white shark stuns captor

Jason Gillespie (50) couldn’t believe his eyes when he battled and boated this all-white tope

He was targeting a wreck off the Isle of Wight when he latched into the rare 3ft-long shark using a squid bait intended for cod. He said:

“Some mates and I were fishing a sandbank for rays, but when the tide ebbed we moved to a deep-water wreck. 

“We caught tope from the off but when it was my turn to play a fish, I looked down to see this large white shape coming towards the surface. We all said ‘what the hell is that?’”

At first Jason believed the tope was an albino, but he has since learned otherwise.

“With albino fish the eyes tend to be reddish, but this shark’s eyes were completely black,” he said.

“People I’ve talked to say it’s leucistic, a condition that causes the skin to lose pigmentation. I’ve fished all my life and never caught anything like it!”

Jason Gillespie with his very rare white top