JUNE 2009

Flying Sharks at Malin Head

The Irish Basking Shark Project tagging team captured on camera, off Malin Head last week, a full breach by a basking shark not once but five times and all less than a mile off Malin Head. The shark tagging team have been out searching the coastline for the largest fish in the Atlantic Ocean, the Basking Shark.

The shark team is conducting a spear tagging research project on these gentle giants of the sea, and it was late on Monday night when they witnessed the special event. Imagine a fish that is larger than a double decker bus and weighs more than an African elephant, now Imagine you saw it fly!

The Irish basking shark project founded by Dr Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and dolphin Group and the local Wildlife ranger for Inishowen Emmet Johnston gained grant aid from the Heritage Council for the tagging project. They are concentrating on the waters around Malin Head and now the area has become a world hot spot for these elusive creatures.

In recent years both RTE and BBC film crews have been guided by Ranger Johnston off Malin head to film basking sharks, but nothing like this has ever been recorded in Irish or International waters before.

The team has received fantastic support from the local fishing community and would like to thank them all for reporting their sightings. “Without the support of Inishowen’s coastal communities this project would never have happened”. Now with the tags deployed we want to encourage anyone who see a shark to report it ASAP by phone or email.

If you would like to report a sighting of a basking shark, please report it on-line at www.iwdg.ie or phone Emmet Johnston on 087 286 7055.

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