Report information
Basking Sharks are a fascinating visitor to the waters around the UK but despite being as big as a bus, they are still difficult to find out about once they disappear into the deep blue sea.
However fascinating information is emerging from the depths. In our previous report, back in June, we interviewed Mauvis Gore of the University Marine Biological Station at Millport about her tagging work with Basking Sharks and she revealed that one, called Tracy, tagged off the Isle of Man last year had been tracked to Nova Scotia - the first time ever that a Basking Shark was definitively known to have crossed the Atlantic.
Speaking to Jackie Hall of the Manx Basking Shark Watch, Lionel discovered that Basking Sharks are attracted to the plankton-rich waters between Britain and Ireland. She also believes that they come here to reproduce - male sharks have been seen with rub marks on their claspers and females have been seen with bite marks on their pectoral fins. Moreover, courtship behaviour has been spotted. Parallel swimming and nose-to-tail following confirm this hypothesis but Jackie has yet to see these sharks in flagrante.
Do Basking Sharks come to the UK to mate? Jackie Hall and Mauvis Gore will be attaching more satellite tracking devices to sharks to confirm this theory but until then, be sure to contact the Manx Basking Shark Watch if you spot the locked-together-rolling-around that suggests mating Basking Sharks.
Further Reading:
Last report: Basking Shark tracked to Nove Scotia
Manx Basking Shark Watch