Latest news with #baskingshark
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Science
- BBC News
Falmouth Basket Shark aims to raise sea pollution awareness
A creative project aiming to raise awareness of marine pollution is set to see a 20ft (6.1m) model of a basking shark - made from sustainable materials - taken to a Cornish Basket Shark has been made out of items including willow, pallet wood and bamboo in a project led by Falmouth University lecturer Duncan model has been on display in Falmouth's National Maritime Museum during the half-term break and is set to travel down to Gyllyngvase Beach on Sunday to mark World Ocean Cameron said the plan was for the shark to stay at the beach during summer so people could fill it up with plastic found on the sand, before it is taken back to the university in the autumn. He added the year-long project had been set up to highlight the dangers of plastic and marine pollution with a "carbon-neutral but high-impact" project involved other groups including Plastic Free Mylor, the National Maritime Museum, the Shark Trust and Surfers Against Sewage, who worked alongside Mr Cameron and students to develop the shark. He added he was delighted with how the project had gone and been able to let "voices be heard" on an important subject."It's a creative project, but underneath it all there's this larger conversation about plastic in the sea," Mr Cameron said."With all projects, you have an idea and plan and hope to bring people along with you and there have been hundreds of voices in making this shark."
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Terror in Rhode Island as enormous TWENTY FOOT shark is spotted swimming in pond
A 20-foot basking shark was spotted swimming near Rhode Island 's Block Island on Monday. Footage of the large animal first surfaced on Memorial Day, after Jennifer Seebeck spotted a large dorsal fin rising out of the waters in the Great Salt Pond, on an island off the south coast of the state. Seebeck had been dining at nearby restaurant Dead Eye Dick's when she managed to capture the shark near the surface of the water. In the clip, the shark can be seen going through the waters and past a seemingly vacant small boat. Other diners in the background can be heard passing comment on the animals appearance and laughing. The Atlantic Shark Institute shared the clip to their social media pages, causing it to go viral. In it, the organization said: 'We got a number of calls yesterday as people on Block Island, RI were treated to quite the scene, kicking off the 2025 summer season! 'Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlantic Shark Institute (@atlantic_shark) They added: 'Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking. 'Hopefully this shark will find its way out of Great Salt Pond soon and continue on its way!' The institutes director Jon Dodd later revealed that the animal was a basking shark that was around 20 feet long. He told WBZ-TV: 'They are harmless filter-feeders but that wouldn't matter much if you were in the water when one came cruising by!' The New England Aquarium say that basking sharks are the second-largest fish species after the whale shark and eat plankton. Dodd also told Fox that basking sharks prefer cooler waters and are regularly spotted around Rhode Island during the summer months. He said: 'This is a shark that we will see fairly consistently. They're considered vulnerable according to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). 'In many parts of the world they're considered endangered', Dodd added. He also believes that the shark probably likely ended up in the pond after making a mistake on his travels. 'This guy just made a mistake. He must've been cruising up the west side of Block Island and said, "Hey, let me explore what's going on in this pond", and found himself in the wrong place.' The shark is since have believed to have left the pond around a day after being spotted. Dodd added that the sighting was a good sign for marine conservationists. In 2018 a group of fishermen filmed themselves releasing a huge great white shark that they managed to catch less than a mile away from a Rhode Island Beach. First mate Michael Lorello said the predator measured six feet long and was caught not far away from the popular pleasure beach of Misquamicut.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- The Sun
Dramatic vid shows ENORMOUS shark lurking off coast at Brit holiday hotspot Marbella for ‘the first time in 35 years'
THIS is the shocking moment an enormous shark was spotted near the beach in a popular Spanish tourist spot. A viral video shows the colossal basking shark skulking around the waters just off the coast of Marbella. 4 4 4 The footage, shared by water sports club Aqua Time Marbella on Instagram, gives a stunningly clear look at the vast beast as it makes its way along the coastline. The team marvelled at the incredible rare close up sighting of the huge creature. "Never in our 35-year history have we seen anything like it," a member of the club's team wrote. To start with, the only thing visible is the shark's fin as it breaks above the water. But as the enormous creature swims closer to the camera, its sheer jaw-dropping size becomes clear. The beast gracefully makes its way through the waters, leaving onlookers stunned at how vast it looks. A jet-ski can also be seen whizzing off into the distance, offering some perspective of the creature's size. But sunbathers and swimmers looking to enjoy the Spanish sun don't need to be alarmed. Basking sharks can grow up to an intimidating 12 metres in length, but they are not aggressive towards humans. Watch as eight basking sharks surround tiny canoe in middle of sea off coast of Ireland in incredible footage They are the second largest shark found in the ocean, only after the whale shark. Their big, gaping mouths might make them look scary, but they only feed on plankton and small fish. Basking sharks can be found throughout European waters - including around the UK coastline. Despite this, such close up sightings of these sharks are relatively rare. But this is not the only recent basking shark encounter around Spanish tourist hotspots in recent weeks. Last month, Spanish fishermen accidentally caught a 22 foot basking shark in the north-eastern Catalonia region. The startled fishermen brought it back to shore at Port de la Selva - about two hours drive northeast of Barcelona. They alerted the area's marine life foundation - CRAM - once they realised what they'd caught. A video shared widely on X shows the heartstopping moment the shark was brought onto dry land, where what looks like a fishing net can be seen tangled around its tail fins. However, the shark had died by the time they reached port. Elsewhere, a group of fishermen wrestled a great white shark back into the water after it was caught in North Carolina. It took the team 35-minutes to wrestle the creature back into the ocean. The fisherman who shared the footage said: "It's breathtaking seeing a 12-to-13-foot, 1,400-to-1,800-pound animal jump out of the water on the hook set.
