INCREDIBLE footage of a basking shark has been filmed off the coast of Baltimore in West Cork.
The video was shared on the Facebook page of The Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore and shows the gentle giant swimming close to the surface, mouth wide open as it feeds.
Basking sharks are the second largest living fish in the sea, after the whale shark.
A fully grown basking shark can reach up to 26ft in length. The species is found across the world’s oceans although it is most fond of temperate waters.
Despite its impressive size, giant mouth and row upon row of teeth, the basking shark is unlikely to cause any problems to humans in the water. A basking shark's primary food source is plankton and small fish. They can often be spotted swimming along slowly close to the surface with their mouth wide open to scoop up food.
See the basking shark up close and personal here....
Basking in the SunQuick dip early this morning outside Harbour. Thanks to Vince.
Posted by The Waterfront Baltimore on Tuesday, 31 May 2016
