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“WE’RE GOING TO need a bigger boat.” This is something that the kayakers down at South Harbour could have been saying today as a giant basking shark decided to pay a visit to the bay.
While swimmers and kayakers were out enjoying the summer sun, the basking shark decided to take a closer look at what was going on.
Niamh Ni Driscoiel of Cape Clear Ferry and Fastnet Tours Cape said the giant visitor came into the bay at about 1.20pm.
The shark was “curious” she said and was “not perturbed” by the swimmers and kayakers nearby.
“I was just there in the right place at the right time to catch the whole thing on my Samsung phone,” she said.
She told TheJournal.ie that basking sharks often visit the bay, but that there are rarely people actually swimming alongside them. The video can be seen here.
“The water was so calm and clear today so you could see everything. It is rare to see people alongside the sharks, it really puts their scale into perspective,” said Ni Driscoiel.
“The shark was happy enough to play along with the swimmers and there was nothing to worry about as basking sharks are vegetarians, they only feed on plankton,” she said. Phew!
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I would be confident that I still would soil myself nonetheless.
When u first got into the freezing cold water
If it was that cold I can guarantee I wouldn’t be in it!
confident to soil oneself?!! – trying to decipher which is more disturbing, your comment or your 100 likes!!
soils oneself, present participle soiling oneself, simple past and past participle soiled oneself
Irish people are forever thinking of themselves, even whereby sharks are concerned….
a beautiful tranquil happening & the general consensus flows toward fear & the anticipation of one soiling oneself. Ireland s full of people soiling themselves…constant flow of fools who never taste a shark..
Having a conversation with yourself there Michael…
lol..thanks Shnarp…kind off, yes
but hey, I do not advocate the word hysteria..the prime minister, that’s his word of the week, an awful word when you think of it; but does work for sharks, soiling oneself and the general Irish way of thinking..must go walk the dogs, they’re two otters in the Liffey I’m hoping to catch a glimpse off
Clearly Michael forgot to take his meds!
So would I. I never knew there were “Veggie” sharks. Thought they were all meat eaters
Everything alright there mike?
It’s more that they eat plankton, which is a mix of little sea plants and animals. The Sharks swim around with their big gobs open all the time…Kinda like Michael there.
Basking shark are not “Veggies”or vegetarian even. it’s true they feed on plankton, but plankton spawns are predominately invertebrates.
Class. Big gob open. Like Michael. Ha!
Baskin shark spotted…. Long brown cloud that suddenly appeared behind Mr deluvio seemed to warn off the beast and swimmers!!
@Dervy O’ S – “Clearly Michael forgot to take his meds!” – dervla, oh Dear Dervla, you see, sometimes I merely see things that others do not see! Your derogatory, labeling comment may well be liked by the 77 people, there is however one or two who know that you are a rather chubby girl, who’s life’s focus is upon giggling & making snide comments. Your nothing but a chubby girl from Meath or some place, and that is your story, now go handcuff yourself to a treadmill and pant your opinions away…You sum up my whole point
*kind of
*glimpse of
Michael, you seem to be great craic altogether. I can only surmise from your wit, grammatical precision and heightened appreciation for nature’s wonders that you are indeed the “Go To” guy for a great night out. The women must be throwing themselves at you.
We should be friends.
sure, on one condition…that you do not go soiling yourself?!
Promise not to float around me for the night with your mouth open?
we would not like the same night out. you like chasing popularity – I like rescuing dogs.
You go gooey over Sharon Ní Bheoláin – I sip coffee over Toiréasa Ferris. if the four of us were approached in the water by a great white shark, you would soil yourself, as you say above????!! ..anyways this thread is dead!
Insightful. I can’t help it if I’m loved. What has drinking coffee with a gun runners daughter got to do with anything?
Enjoy your alone time Hand Solo.
your loved for soiling yourself…I’m not loved for not soiling myself…I can live with that Summer flower
Sneaky Samsung advert thrown in there too I see. Well played.
“Catch the whole thing on my Samsung phone” … jaysus.
Only thing that I remember from the entire article! So out of place!
Congrats Ted for not typing Plaice
You’re giving me a haddock.
What an experience it would have been to be swimming beside this shark. Even though they are harmless id say the old ticker would skip a few beats if this swam up to me……
its a pity it wasn’t captured on a JVC CX-100 Camcorder instead of a rubbish Samsung phone !
Harmless creature, used to row right up against these as a kid in Cork harbour many years ago
If I was swiming there , I reckon there would be a major oil slick. V embarrassing for all those involved!
Squeaky bum!!!!
Lol can’t help chuckling at the idea of a “veggie” shark!
Wow, looks stunning, love to have been there
Pffftttt! Call yourself King of the Jungle?
Pretty small for a basking shark – must be a juvenile . Say it’s max a 10 footer!
Yup, that’s only a baby, seen them twice that size off connemara
It was massive Boy !!
Such a difference to what the fate is of whales and dolphins entering the waters off the Faroe Islands beginning tomorrow. Google Grind Faroe Islands to see the sickening reality. It’ll be broadcast live each day on sea shepherd.org. (Those of TV program ‘Whale Wars’ fame).
You would think it would of been in more fear of us considering were meat eaters mmmm
I had to work today, and tomorrow
Hey, make sure you get my beard in at an angle so people can see that i have a beard like everyone else.
As a kayaker it would be a wow to be in the water with a basking shark, those lucky Baltimore folk. .. It’s a rush to kayak with a dolphin dancing around you but the sheer size of the basking shark would be amazing. ..
I know a good fish monger!
Its a scare monger we want.
There boring sharks ,a great white would be cool!
Jpf, are you directing the boring Sharks? Where should they go?
There would be no fun in it..
Great White Sharks are now electonically tagged.
So are humans :-)
Apparently he demanded money from bathers before he left ……… He was. Loan Shark !!
Apparently the shark demanded money from bathers before he left …………. He was a Loan Shark !
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