A giant basking shark has been filmed swimming in Cork harbour by a quick-thinking adventurer and his drone helicopter camera.
The footage was recorded by Andrew O’Riordan, who works for Cork marine adventure firm, Ocean Escapes. He was told there had been a shark spotted in the harbour on Thursday, and raced out in his dinghy to get up close to the giant creature.
O’Riordan could be forgiven for feeling a little nervous as the huge shark dwarfed his little boat. But he kept his cool to pilot the drone and capture some incredible footage of the giant beast.
The aerial footage shows just how huge the basking shark is, as it swims right up alongside O’Riordan’s dinghy.
Fortunately for O’Riordan, unlike their Jaws cousins the Great Whites, basking sharks don’t have a taste for a human flesh, preferring to feed on plankton and tiny sea creatures.
The laid back giants are the second largest fish in the ocean, and can be found in both warm and colder waters all around the world.
It is however, a bit of a shock to find one swimming so close to land in Cork harbour. Well done to O’Riordan for his quick and calm response in delivering the brilliant video. Watch the giant shark below.
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