mick
Well-Known Member
I've come close a number of times, but I've never hit one and I've never met anyone who has. Has anyone out there clattered one of the beasts?
Basking sharks
- Thread starter mick
- Start date
Seajet
...
Yes, but we're talking about 1942 !
My Dad was on a shore leave boat on the Clyde, sounds like this boat was quite substantial; they came to a teeth-rattling halt when they hit the basking shark, only then seeing it but ( hopefully ) it seemed OK, carried on swimming, can't have improved its' day though.
My Dad was on a shore leave boat on the Clyde, sounds like this boat was quite substantial; they came to a teeth-rattling halt when they hit the basking shark, only then seeing it but ( hopefully ) it seemed OK, carried on swimming, can't have improved its' day though.
Ian_Edwards
Well-Known Member
we've got very close!
Taken off Coll in June 2010
Taken off Coll in June 2010
Slipstream 34
Well-Known Member
Last year we left Tobermory after the third gale in 8 days ! Rounded Ardnamurchan point heading for Rum. Just as we entered the sound of Rum, surfing on the 5m+ swell, we saw a basking shark appear in front of us. Despite a large course correction we "bumped" it with a gentle "thud". It's body was parallel with our course so it was a glancing blow rather than a collision, and was still swimming on the surface when we could see it over the swell. We stuck our nose into Loch Scresort but it was too squally and ended up in Ardrishaig, with a broken goose neck fitting. An 8 hour white knuckle ride - thank goodness for monel seizing wire and JB weld.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Close Encounter
40 odd years ago, when I was in the Scouts, I was on the scoutmaster's yacht ghosting into Loch Ranza with the intention of dropping the hook. There was a fin in the water ahead of us and the skipper told us it was a basking shark, completely harmless, and not to worry.
The shark was slowly swimming around in a complicated pattern and seemed totally oblivious to our approach. "He'll scoot as soon as he senses we're here" said the skipper.
We got closer.
And closer.
"Someone poke it with the boathook!" yelled skipper.
At that point the shark performed a sort of barrel role and shot out to sea after scraping along the side of the boat. It took a huge area of paint off, right back to the wood. Quite exciting when you're 12 or 13.
40 odd years ago, when I was in the Scouts, I was on the scoutmaster's yacht ghosting into Loch Ranza with the intention of dropping the hook. There was a fin in the water ahead of us and the skipper told us it was a basking shark, completely harmless, and not to worry.
The shark was slowly swimming around in a complicated pattern and seemed totally oblivious to our approach. "He'll scoot as soon as he senses we're here" said the skipper.
We got closer.
And closer.
"Someone poke it with the boathook!" yelled skipper.
At that point the shark performed a sort of barrel role and shot out to sea after scraping along the side of the boat. It took a huge area of paint off, right back to the wood. Quite exciting when you're 12 or 13.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
Haas anyone told basking sharks that sunbathing ages the skin?
Resolution
Well-Known Member
What happens when a basking shark ingests a jelly fish? Or a plastic bag? Or an inquisitive cameraman?
mick
Well-Known Member
Thanks, all, especially Ian for terrific pics.
rob2
Well-Known Member
gardenshed
Well-Known Member
Yes, CCC North Channel race in the early 80's Oyster 41, beautiful sunny morning, very little wind, ghosting along doing about 4kts with the light spinnaker up when we t-boned one stopping us completely. The shark was alongside for a few seconds and must have been over 30' long as its head was infront of the shrouds and the tail reached the back of the cockpit. It then just swam off.
TQA
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Jelly fish FINE
Plastic bag THEY DIE
Camera man Shark chokes as throat is too narrow spits out camera man who sells his story to a tabloid and makes a fortune.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Three kings
Well-Known Member
About three weeks ago bound for Falmouth our position was approx 15 miles SW of Lundy. We are sailing in the gathering gloom with about 12 knots of wind. My wife and two kids are down below watching Pirates of the Caribbean when suddenly there is a large thud and we come to a dead stop. My first thought is that we have hit a container or submerged log so we calm the kids kids down whilst tearing up the bilge boards and generally looking about for what we may have hit as well as any damage. Happily there was no damage we could see nor any sign of the offending obstacle and after ten minutes or so we are under way again. Having told the story to several people they all reckon it was a basking shark. Apparently they like to loiter just below the surface. I dived on the keel in Falmouth and no damage there either.
This was definitely the scariest moment I have had for a long time.
This was definitely the scariest moment I have had for a long time.
flipper
Well-Known Member
If it's anything like a whale shark, they can push their stomach out through their mouth to get rid of any foreign bodies.
This was my encounter with a baby one 20 years ago in the Arabian Gulf:
fisherman
Well-Known Member
When I was twelve I had a small GRP dinghy, less than 8ft long. A Basking shark surfaced underneath me, lifting me out of the water, then dropped me back as it thrashed away, the tail came over the side of the boat and hit my hand. Don't know if you've ever seen adrenalin.
lenseman
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Razorfish
Well-Known Member
In a situation like that, adrenalin is brown in colour!
HA!
Csail
N/A
If it's anything like a whale shark, they can push their stomach out through their mouth to get rid of any foreign bodies.
This was my encounter with a baby one 20 years ago in the Arabian Gulf:
How does that work with noBCD and it looks really nasty to wear.
flipper
Well-Known Member
It was a bail out cylinder from a surface demand set with a scuba reg attached. Just jumped in from the dive ship to get some photos. In that set up I was neutrally buoyant 'ish
