A huge shark estimated to be 12ft long has been spotted lurking near a beach in Wales. Alex Brace, a member of the Tenby sailing club, spotted the predator while he was out at sea with a friend on Wednesday night.
As they made their way back to the dock following a routine sail, the pair spotted a large silhouette swimming in the shallow waters next to their boat, Wales Online reports.
It wasn't long before they released it was a shark. Mr Brace, who runs Alex Brace Bike Mechanic in Saundersfoot, said: "We had just come back in and we were in ankle-deep water when we spotted it. My friend was standing behind me and we could just see these fins in the water, and a couple of seconds later we realised it was a shark. It was near us for a good two or three minutes and then it started heading off towards Saundersfoot.
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"The distance between its fins must have been around five or six feet in length, so it must have been about 12 feet long in total. I’ve spoken to a few people and shown them the video and they said it was most likely a basking shark, given the way it was moving."
The basking shark, often known as the 'gentle giant, is the largest shark in UK waters - typically measuring between 25 and 29 feet long. In fact, it is the second-largest shark in the world, only falling short of the whale shark.
While their size may be intimidating, basking sharks are not known for attacking humans and live on a diet of aquatic microorganism known as zooplankton. They can often be found in British waters between May and October while migrating as far as South Africa during the winter, according to the National History Museum.
Basking sharks are more commonly spotted in parts of southern England, the west coast of Scotland, and Wales. However, sightings like the one in Tenby is actually quite rare.
"That's the first one I've seen," said Alex. "We do see porpoises and seals but generally not sharks.
"I’ve spoken to some of the other people who sail on boats around here, and they said seeing one is rare. It was probably in water no more than waist deep.
"It was quite incredible really.”
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