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Tag Archives: Basking Sharks

Publicity for basking sharks welcomed after Clare sighting

AN international research group has welcomed the public attention on Basking Sharks in the wake of a viral video shot by divers off Kilkee last week. The video showed a large group of the giant sharks engaged in a courtship ritual, something that was also observed off Clare’s coast at around the same time last year. A spokesperson for the Irish Basking Shark Group (IBSG) told The Champion, “Basking sharks frequently occupy Irish waters on and off from April through September. They are known to feed here, and based on instances like those observed last week where they are gathering in big groups, basking sharks likely come to Ireland to court and potentially mate.” The group’s store of knowledge has been greatly advanced in the last year, often through the help of the general public sending them pictures and reports. That then allows the multidisciplinary team to square the sightings with any environmental factors that may be bringing the sharks …

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WATCH: Clare’s marine magic in focus with courting sharks

THE WATERS off county Clare are once again the focus of attention for eye-opening marine life action. Last week, a group of scuba divers observed a large gathering of Basking Sharks engaged in what is believed to be courtship behaviour and in doing so, captured some amazing footage. Little is known about the behaviour of the giant creatures, the second largest fish in the sea and, like many, sadly now an endangered species. The man responsible for the footage Mark O’Leary of UL Sub Aqua Club was on a dive with friends from Kilkee Sub Aqua Club when the opportunity arose to film the graceful creatures. Mark told The Champion this week that he and his friends had been planning a regular dive when some jet skiers told them at Kilkee pier that there were Basking Sharks in the area, so the group deliberately went out looking for them. “We found them pretty fast in around 70 metres of water,” …

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