2026-05-15 12:01:56
Giant 40 foot sharks will be seen around the UK coast from May.
Experts are predicting basking sharks – which can grow up to 40ft long and weigh up to six tonnes – will be prevalent in waters around the United Kingdom between May and September with the most likely places for sightings said to be around the Scottish islands of Skye and Mull, off the coast of Anglesey in Wales, around the Isle of Man and along the southwest coast of England.
A spokesperson for Basking Shark Scotland told the Bournemouth Echo: “During spring, water temperature increases, sun hours and daylight increases and nutrients are highly available in the water.
“Like terrestrial plants coming to life in spring, the ocean is no different and plankton starts to bloom. So you’ll not be surprised that basking sharks, being planktivores (eating plankton), also appear when the plankton appears.”
Basking sharks are native to UK waters and pose no threat to humans. They are one of 21 species of sharks which inhabit UK waters around the year, but basking sharks are only likely to be sighted throughout a few months of the year.
A spokesman for the Shark Trust added: “Only a few sharks are potentially dangerous to humans. None of these have ever been reported in British waters.
“With so many shark species under threat, seeing a shark in British waters should be a cause for celebration.”
A statement about the sharks posted on Wildlifetrusts.org explained: “The basking shark is the second largest fish in our oceans – its relative the whale shark being the biggest.
“Despite their size, basking sharks only feed on zooplankton which they filter out of the water, swimming slowly back and forth with their enormous mouths wide open. They are most commonly seen in the summer, when they arrive in British waters.”
The statement also suggested where to go for the best chance to see the sharks, adding: “Courtship behaviour has been seen off the Isle of Man – so perhaps they arrive here to breed!
” For your best chance of spotting them, visit Cornwall, the Isle of Man and the Inner Hebrides. They can be seen from cliffs, but your best chance is to take a boat trip with a reputable wildlife watching company.”
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