A great white shark has been tracked heading towards British waters and could arrive off the Cornish coast within three days.

The 4.4m predator, named Lydia, was fitted with an electronic tag near Florida as part of an Ocearch scientific project. It has since swam more than 19,000 miles across the Atlantic, and if it continues on its current course, could reach the Cornish coast within three days, according to The Sun.

The shark is now closer to Europe than the US, but will only be considered to have crossed the Atlantic after she passes the mid-Atlantic ridge. If she does, she will become the first shark documented to do so.

While Lydia may continue heading towards Britain, she may also end up in the Mediterranean or off the west coast of Africa, with interested parties able to follow her progress on the Ocearch Shark Tracker.