CORK, Ireland – Hopefully, you will avoid an encounter like this.
A pair of kayakers in Ireland had a jaw-dropping experience when a curious shark swam right under their boat.
Louise Barker and Becky Hatchett were kayaking Monday off the coast of Cork when they felt a bump from a curious basking shark.
“What a stunning creature,” Barker said in a Twitter post with her recorded video.
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According to the University of Florida, the slow-moving migratory shark is the second-largest fish, growing as long as 40 feet and weighing over 5 tons.
Barker said she regularly kayaks in the area, and such sightings like this had become more common during the COVID pandemic.
“Now with the trawlers out, we don’t see as much activity,” she said.
Basking sharks are often sighted swimming close to the surface. They are considered passive and pose no real danger to humans, but caution is urged during any encounter.