Huge 23-foot shark struck by boat off the west coast of County Kerry

Huge 23-foot shark struck by boat off the west coast of County Kerry

The collision happened in the waters around the Dingle Peninsula, south-west Ireland.

Published: July 24, 2024 at 1:17 pm

Researchers were shocked to capture a recording of a 23-foot-long basking shark being hit by a boat just hours after it was tagged with a tracking device and camera off the south-west coast of Ireland.

The collision caused the female shark to stop feeding and dive down to the seafloor, but because the tag was pre-programmed to fall off after several hours, they don't know what happened to her after that. 

Basking shark
Researchers say the collision highlights just how vulnerable basking sharks are to boat strikes. Credit: Getty

“This is the first ever direct observation of a ship strike on any marine megafauna that we’re aware of,” says Taylor Chapple, a shark researcher at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Centre.

“The fact that a shark we fitted our ‘Fitbit’ to was struck in this area within a few hours underlines just how vulnerable these animals are to boats and highlights the need for greater education in how to mitigate against such strikes,” said co-author Nicholas Payne, an assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Natural Sciences. 

Watch: Basking shark boat strike. Credit: Oregon State University

The map below shows the basking shark's journey after it was tagged. The orange square, at right, depicts where the basking shark was tagged; the blue line shows the shark's route while feeding with the tag attached; the red diamond marks where the shark was struck by the boat; the yellow line marks the shark's travel after the strike. The orange box on the left shows where the tag was released from the animal.

Basking shark boat strike
Map showing the basking shark's journey after it was tagged. Credit: Big Fish Lab, Oregon State University

Words: Melissa Hobson

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