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Basking Sharks Return To Isle Of Man Waters
May 28, 2008
Release from: Lottie Ray
iomtoday.co.im
The shark season is here.
The first basking shark of 2008 was spotted feeding half a mile north-northwest of Peel breakwater last week.
It was the first to be recorded in Manx waters since last year's season ended at the beginning of November.
Jackie Hall, of Manx Basking Shark Watch, said: 'It's brilliant. We're very excited about the new season. We are going to do a lot more behavioural and tagging research this year.'
The Isle of Man is a hot spot for basking sharks because the endangered creatures are attracted to the high plankton concentrations that thrive in the waters, warmed by the Gulf Stream, around our Island.
Traditionally an East Asian delicacy, a bowl of basking shark fin soup is said to sell for $100 in the USA.
In British waters, it is now illegal to intentionally kill, injure, capture, disturb or harass basking sharks — anyone committing an offence faces a six-month jail sentence.
The species is internationally protected under a number of agreements including the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species.
According to The Shark Trust Code of Conduct everyone must avoid the sharks by turning their boat engine off 100 metres from them or by keeping a distance of four metres if swimming.
People must never try to touch them.
For more information, or to record a sighting or photograph, visit: www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com or call Jackie on 801345.
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Boat control near basking sharks
Restrict your speed to below six knots and avoid sudden speed changes.
When closer than 100m switch the engine to neutral to avoid injuring the sharks.
Avoid disturbing dense groups of sharks as you may disrupt courtship behaviour.
Be extremely cautious in areas where basking sharks have been seen breaching.
Jet skis are incompatible with basking sharks and should stay at least 500m away.
Remember that for every shark visible on the surface there are likely to be more hidden just below.
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Swimming with basking sharks
Do not try to touch the sharks.
Maintain a distance of four metres from each shark and be wary of the tail.
Groups of swimmers should stay together and ideally remain at the surface.
Restrict the number of people in the water at any one time.
Take plenty of pictures but avoid flash photography which can scare the sharks.
Photograph any characteristic features which may help reidentify the shark in the future.
Do not use underwater propelled devices.
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Basking shark facts
They are the second largest fish in the sea — weighing an estimated 3,000kg (three tonnes) — growing up to 12m long, which is a similar length to a bus.
They are regular visitors to British waters in spring and summer and can swim huge distances, migrating more than 3,000km in a season through cold to warm-temperate waters.
Their official name is Cetorhinus Maximus — derived from the Greek words 'ketos', meaning marine monster or whale, and 'rhinos', meaning nose, and 'maximus' meaning great.
They are a mottled colour, similar to that of mackerel skin, with tiny vestigal teeth and huge gill slits that almost encircle the head.
The dorsal fin can be two metres high out of the water and the mouth one metre wide.
They are docile creatures that feed entirely on microscopic plankton in the water which they filter using specially adapted gill rakers.
In one hour, they are capable of sieving more than 1,800 tonnes of water — the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Their life expectancy is more than 50 years and pregnancy is thought to last somewhere between 18 months to three years, with the possibility of giving birth to six pups at one time.
They are often seen alone or in groups. A shoal of 100 was seen off Jurby Head in 1991.
Despite their size they are capable of leaping clean out of the water.
The best chance of seeing a shark off the Island is on a calm June day, in a boat, off the southwest coast.
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