A photographer in Ireland captured the stunning moment enormous basking sharks – which can grow to 12 metres long – leapt from the water in mighty breaches.
“An unbelievable day,” says wildlife photographer Conor Rowlands on Instagram. Rowlands had watched from shore while the sharks breached off Loop Head, County Clare. “It was very difficult to predict where they would breach next, so photographing them was a nightmare at times!”
Basking sharks can often be spotted off the coast of Ireland, Cornwall and Scotland in the summer.
"In recent years, there have been two seasonal peaks of basking shark sightings in Irish waters,” says Rowlands.
"The first peak occurs during the spring and early summer when they can be seen feeding on the surface. The second peak occurs during the late summer and autumn when they gather in huge aggregations and breach regularly.”
No one knows for sure why these enormous animals breach but it must have an important purpose for them to use up so much energy leaping from the water. Some think it might be to do with courtship.
“With the use of aerial and underwater photography, groups of sharks have been documented swimming in a tight circle known as a ‘torus’,” explains Rowlands. "Their mouths are closed, so they aren't feeding, which is further evidence that this could be a form of courtship.”
If this is some kind of mating ritual, startling or disturbing the sharks – for example, by getting too close or blocking their path – could have a serious impact on future populations.
Rowlands encourages wildlife lovers to check out The Irish Basking Shark Group for more information on how to see basking sharks without disturbing these gentle giants. “The safest and most responsible way to see them is from the shore,” he says. “It's arguably the most enjoyable way to see them as well!”
Top image: Basking shark breach. Credit: Conor Rowlands
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