Basking Sharks

[Jace]

Some of you may of seen the piece on the BBC this morning about Basking Sharks, ad we have a really interesting feature on encounters with these amazing creatures in the free sea kayaking supplement with next issue of Canoe & Kayak UK. But there are also some useful identification charts and a guide to Basking Shark Encounters to be found at this link.

http://www.canoekayak.co.uk/channel/new ... te=__12105

Happy paddling & shark watching.

Jay

[David A]

I managed to listen to the report on BBC Radio Scotland this morning. Seemingly there are arriving early this year with the increase in water temperature. I think they also mentioned that there could also be a slight increase in numbers. Fantastic, I may see one at last.
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17846524

David A.

[Mark R]

This is good news, numbers were significantly down last year, with no clear reason why.

[Douglas Wilcox]

Douglas

[ian johnston]

Short video clip here - the "bump" is the tail passing the bow of my boat; quite a long time after the dorsal fin! This shark approached me rather than me paddling towards it and stayed around for several minutes before moving off, still fishing. More of these creatures around can only be a good thing given their treatment up until the 1980's.




Kind Regards

[David A]

Douglas and Ian, this is the type of encounter I am dreaming of. Great pics and video clip.

David A.

[Stuart Yendle]

I second what David A said. Best kayaking/shark pictures I've seen yet, even manage to get a sense of size. Great little video clip.

[PhilAyr]

Douglas

Jennifer is one brave lady ! Despite their good reputation, when they head straight towards you like that it can become very un-nerving. Make sure your brace stroke is ready for action. !

Phil

[Helen M]

They are awesome.





H - x

[Stuart Yendle]

Where and what time of the year are all these sightings?

[Kayaks'N'Beer]

They are awesome.

I love this pic. The sense of nonchalance - "Quick, look right, there's a basking shark!" - "Yeah, whatever"

[Douglas Wilcox]

Thanks Stuart and David,

Stuart, my photos were 14th June 2009, Caolas Soa, Coll. I have very good recall as it was on the 13th June that I had a little accident on the sand dunes of Gunna that involved bursting all the ligaments in my right knee except for the lateral. The previous September I had watched episode 9 of Highland Emergency, which involved an academic colleague of mine from Newcastle University. He had a similar knee injury after falling on the sand dunes at the north of Islay. He was helicoptered off and taken to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. I decided to do without the helicopter ride, the entonox and the morphine and paddle myself back to Ardnamurchan over the following two nights and days. We came across these magnificent basking sharks not long after leaving Gunna the next day and when I saw them, I knew I had made the right decision.

Douglas

[Stuart Yendle]

Douglas, I remember reading about that somewhere a while ago. I don't know how you managed that, it felt like I snapped my leg in half when I dislocated mine, I was begging for the needles and happy gas. A sighting like that mind must have soothed the pain a little.

[lg18]

We had an incredible basking shark encounter in Shetland - it was a big one (longer than the kayak) and kept circling us and swimming right underneath our kayaks several times. For the first time ever it occurred to me to use video and actually put my camera under the water - I had no idea if it would work, but this was the result: (I hope it works as it's the first time I've tried to post a picture/video here)... (and appologies for the peeing around at the start!).



If it doesn't work, maybe it can be viewed from this link
http://s1171.photobucket.com/albums/r54 ... 060155.mp4

Lucy

[maryinoxford]

Thanks, Lucy. Interesting video.

Aren't we lucky in Britain to have huge, spectacular sharks that don't eat people...?

Mary

[lg18]

Thanks Mary. I'd forgotten I also have this vid of the same shark, possibly better underwater view...

[ian johnston]

Where and what time of the year are all these sightings?

Hi Stuart, this particular sighting was on 25 July 2009 off Smirisary Point in the Arisaig/Glenuig area. I've been fortunate enough to have had another couple of sightings since, but none as close.

Kind regards

Ian

[Yakdiver]

Amazing photos

[Mark R]

Great stuff. Any idea what the notched dorsal fin is all about?

Last basking shark I saw was also in Shetland - cruising a tide race just off Fair Isle.

[Jim]

Great stuff. Any idea what the notched dorsal fin is all about?

Nature has developed basking sharks to have unique notches in the dorsal fin so marine biologists can tell them apart.....

I'm sure that's what Monty Halls said :-)

[Mark R]

Where and what time of the year are all these sightings?

They arrive now-ish, and spread up the west coast towards Norway by late summer. Particular hotspots where they congregate are Penwith (far west Cornwall), Canna, Coll/ Tiree and Man....

http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2012/ ... s-maximus/

[skoobi]

Last year I saw one down Barafundle bay in pembrokeshire I was amazed on how big they were... Wish id taken some photos now.

[andreadawn]

This was my earliest sighting; 23rd May, Treshnish Point, Mull. I had one on each side of me. All my other sightings have been in June/July/August. West coasts of Mull and Skye have been good places for me to see them. As was the Castlebay-Oban ferry the year before last.



Andrea Collins

[lg18]

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure why "our" shark had 2 big notches in her dorsal fin - it looks to me like the sort of wound a propeller would make - any other suggestions? (I say "her" as the underwater video shows no sign of the claspers that males have, so I assume she's a she). This shark was in NW Mainland Shetland, at the mouth of Ronas Voe, in July. Some really wonderful pics from everyone, and your pics of the shark underwater from above are amazing - what clear water! Mary's so right - we ARE lucky to have these awe-inspiring creatures in our waters.

Lucy

[Mark R]

your pics of the shark underwater from above are amazing - what clear water!

They were taken in August 2007(?) on a wonderful days' paddle from Sennen to St Ives...we met 20+ in the first half of the trip, before fog closed in. I somewhat dented my environmental credentials when I found myself trapped against a cliff with an incoming breaking wave...the wave was glassy clear, and contained a basking shark, visible full length. Did I paddle through the wave over the shark, or did I do the decent thing and get smashed into the cliff to avoid upsetting the shark? I'd better not answer that...

[Mark R]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildli ... years.html

[bruce waddecar]

We spotted two between bull bay and amlwch anglesey, on the 14th May 12.

[Mark R]

Wonderful film...

http://vimeo.com/33222902