Swimming with Basking Sharks in England
If you think swimming with sharks does not sound like a very safe vacation activity, for some sharks you would be right, but not in the case of the basking shark. Like many species of whales, the basking shark is a filter-feeder. It eats plankton, fish eggs and other small things by funneling vast quantities of water through its mouth, and is therefore non-aggressive to anything much bigger than a dime.
One of the basking shark's two signature characteristics is a direct result of its filter-feeding habits, namely its three- or four-foot wide almost toothless mouth. The other signature characteristic is the shark's size. The typical shark is between 20 and 30 feet long, much bigger than even great white sharks. The only fish in the sea bigger than that is the whale shark, also a filter-feeder.
Every year between May and September, basking sharks migrate into the area off western Cornwall, especially around the seaside fishing and resort town of Penzance, of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance fame. Basking shark-sighting tours depart from Penzance every day, with the option of allowing patrons to swim with the basking sharks. The format is simple: don a wetsuit and snorkeling gear and jump in the water. Unless you disturb the basking sharks, the gentle giants will for the most part ignore you.
Basking sharks are classified as a "Vulnerable" species, and you can do your part to protect them by following the rules and reporting unethical or potentially illegal behavior on the part of your tour operator. For both safety and conservation concerns, do not touch the basking sharks while swimming with them. Your only real hazard while swimming with these sharks is being swatted by its massive tail while it tries to escape, so don't poke, prod or otherwise harass one. Also, some operators corral these sharks with their power boats in order to guarantee sightings for visiting tourists, and the process they sometimes injure or kill them. Report any such behavior to the local authorities.
Sources: bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/185.shtml; wildlifeextra.com/go/marine/sharks-cornwall.html; Scuba Diving (June 2010)
Published by Rich Thomas - Featured Contributor in Travel
A Kentuckian and longtime resident of Washington, DC with an MA in international affairs, Thomas splits his time between American and Portugal. He works as a freelance writer both in print and online, writin... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a Commentvery interesting! I might try this. No interest in being in a cage with maneaters beating on the bars, though.
Wow, the photo looks scary, thanks for this article, Very good... :o)