© Sea Life Surveys / Specialist Stock / Barcroft Media
It may resemble the countless photographs of the Loch Ness monster but
this shadowy figure is none other than a breaching basking shark.
For full story and pictures:
This amazing image captured the moment stunned tourists witnessed the
rare and beautiful sight diving clean out of the sea.
British holidaymakers cruising around the Inner Hebrides, Scotland,
last week watched in awe as the three-metre-long monster breached
three times.
Passengers were enjoying an eco trip onboard the Sula Beag with tour
operators Sea Life Surveys. They were sailing near the island of Mull
when the menacing fish leapt for glory.
But onlookers had no reason to get the willies because the harmless
basking shark is toothless and feeds only on microscopic plankton.
© Sea Life Surveys / Specialist Stock / Barcroft Media
The species can grow up to several metres long and is one of the only
sharks to visit the shores of Britain. It eats by swimming with its
mouth wide open and sucks in as much of its tiny prey as it can get.
Skipper James Fairburns, 30, and brother Stu, 27, were crewing the
boat when the sharky surprise took place.
Captain James said: “These sharks can grow up to 12 metres so this was
a fairly small one but to see it breaching was just incredible.
“We do see it occasionally but what is usually seen is just a splash
from where a shark had been. To have all the passengers onboard
looking where the shark first breached, to then watch it less than 100
yards away launch itself out of the water was amazing”.
Little know about why sharks breach. One theory is that is it part of
sexual behaviour.
For now however, the mystery of the Loch Ness monster continues.#
Words by Jack Fletcher
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