First basking sharks of summer back in UK waters

This video is called Basking shark feeding off the Cornish Coast.

From Wildlife Extra:

April 2007. One of the most unforgettable sights in the summer months, off the western coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland is that of the slow majesty of a group of basking sharks feeding on the surface of a still sea – their noses, dorsal fins and tails breaking the surface of the water.

The first three sightings reports for 2007, (22nd March, in Cardigan Bay, West Wales; 24th March, near Douglas on the Isle of Man; and 7th April, near Falmouth in Cornwall).

Basking shark numbers will increase dramatically over the next few months, and there is every chance you might spot one from a beach, cliff top, boat or surfboard.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is appealing to everyone to report their sightings of these wonderful and endangered creatures, the largest wild animal to regularly visit the UK. …

Basking sharks can grow up to 11 metres long and weigh in at 7 tonnes, about the same size and weight as a double-decker bus.

They are the second largest fish in the world – the largest being the whale shark – and like their bigger cousin, they are filter feeders.

They filter out tiny zooplankton using modified gill rakers as they swim with their enormous mouths wide open, processing up to 6,000 litres of sea water, the equivalent to an Olympic sized swimming pool, every hour.

When these sharks find a concentration of zooplankton they cruise back and forth – sometimes in groups of over a hundred.

Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Officer for the Trust said, ‘Basking sharks appear off the coast of Cornwall in April with the highest numbers appearing in May and June.

Basking sharks threatened by fin trade: here.

UK basking shark hotspots – Urgent protection needed: here.

£200 reward for Basking shark satellite tag from St Ives beach: here.

Whale sharks in Philippines: here.