Damien Burke went fishing near Hook Head in sunny weather and noticed an unexpected fin beside his boat. He saw two basking sharks swimming right up alongside the vessel and kept moving around it. The sharks were identified as basking sharks, large filter-feeding sharks with wide-open mouths used to strain plankton from the water. Damien estimated each shark at about 25 feet and said their closeness made them appear absolutely gorgeous. He noted that basking sharks can be seen passing Wexford in spring. He often records sea wildlife encounters, including pilot whales, sperm whales, and dolphins, and used Facebook Live when he did not have his drone with him.
"“I was just fishing there and suddenly I see the fin and said 'what the hell?' The shark just came right up beside the boat. Someone told me they were off the Saltee Islands yesterday and I thought no way, I couldn't get so lucky,” he said."
"“Their mouths are so wide,” Damien added. “They are absolutely gorgeous. They got so close and just kept swimming around the boat for a while.”"
"The two sharks were basking sharks - large, and typically harmless, filter-feeding sharks found in temperate oceans worldwide. Damian reckoned that the sharks measured to 25 foot each. Categorised by their constant wide-open mouth used to strain plankton from the water, they can be seen passing by Wexford in the spring."
"“It's all about being in the right place at the right time. I usually have a drone as well but unfortunately I didn't have it with me. But when I saw the sharks I immediately went on Facebook Live for others to see.”"
Read at Irish Independent
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