Basking shark count off Cornwall – 546 in 1 month

11/09/2010 17:51:28

Basking Shark feeding off the Isles of Scilly, photo by Kat Brown

Third successful year of the Cornwall Trust's Basking Shark project

Volunteers from all over Cornwall and further afield have completed three months of cliff top basking shark surveys, adding to Cornwall Wildlife Trust's understanding of these huge charismatic fish. Through a fantastic effort the volunteers have provided dawn to dusk coverage during the months of June to August, recording information on the basking sharks they saw. With thanks to funding from British International Helicopters and the BBC Wildlife Fund, the data collected can help provide new insights into the secretive lives of basking sharks, which appear in Cornish waters each summer.

The Trust's Seaquest Basking Shark Project, which aims to provide a deeper understanding of basking shark distribution and behaviour around Cornwall, has now run for three consecutive summers. The basking shark is the second largest species of shark in the world, yet very little is known about the biology and behaviour of this enigmatic creature which is now endangered in the North Atlantic. What we do know is that Cornwall is one of the best spots in the world to see them and summer is the best time for sightings.

Surveying the sea for basking sharks, photo by Dr Jane Manning

The Basking Shark project was this year co-ordinated by volunteer Dr Jane Manning. She says "You don't have to get on a boat to see a basking shark up close. Sometimes they swim in near to the shore, and the volunteers have seen them less than 50 metres away!" Dr Manning continues, "Watching from the cliffs is probably the best way to see them because it costs nothing and does not involve disturbing the sharks in any way, which means they are more likely to stick around for longer." She recommends that if you do decide to go on an organised boat trip, it is advisable to use a company that is WISE accredited. This stands for Wildlife Safe, and the boat owners will have agreed to follow certain codes of conduct and should behave more respectfully towards the animals.

546 Basking sharks seen in June
The volunteers, who were stationed at Hella Point near Lands End, saw peak numbers of basking sharks in June this year compared to July and August. A total of 546 basking shark sightings were recorded in June, with sharks appearing most days. "The higher number of sightings in June may be linked to a late spring plankton bloom," says Dr Manning. "Basking sharks are generally seen by people when they are feeding on plankton at the surface of the ocean. If the number of basking shark records is related to the timing of the plankton bloom, we may see the number of sightings pick up in autumn when the plankton flourishes again," she says.

Results of this year's survey are yet to be analysed and the Trust will produce a full report later this year. If the initial results of this year's survey are anything to go by, it seems June may be the best time to go basking shark watching from Cornwall. However, according to Angie Gall, Marine Conservation for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, these findings do not mean that sharks are not being seen elsewhere around the county's coast at other times in the summer. "In recent weeks, when few basking sharks have been seen by volunteers at Hella Point, we have been seeing a number of basking sharks around the Isles of Scilly," says Angie. Several sightings have also been sent in by members of the public from the north coast via Cornwall Wildlife Trust's online reporting form.

Dolphins and Whales too
Basking sharks are not the only marine life that Cornwall has to offer, and even when shark sightings have been few and far between, the volunteers have been kept busy recording the presence of other wildlife. Visitors to Hella Point have included choughs, seals, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, Rissos dolphins, porpoises, minke whales and the strange looking ocean sun fish, all of which have been documented by the dedicated volunteers.

Whether the sharks will return to Hella Point before the end of the season remains to be seen, but the project continues next year. "Massive thanks must go to the entire team of Basking Shark volunteers that have been surveying all summer in all weathers" says Dr Manning, "Please come back next year!" she adds.

For more information regarding basking sharks, the Basking Shark project and the survey blog please visit the www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/baskingshark.