Early sun brings out the basking sharks

A wildlife charity is urging people who spot the telltale signs that basking sharks are swimming off the Cornish coast to phone in the sightings and help create a detailed map of where the creatures gather.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) launched their campaign after the unusually warm weather in April brought a bumper crop of earliest ever sightings of the gentle giants.

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, MCS Biodiversity Policy Officer, said they would be working with the University of Exeter to carry out a detailed survey of local knowledge and opinion about basking sharks.

"This year, in Cornwall, we hope to get even more information about the lives of these massive sharks," he said.

"The more we can map the location of these creatures over time, the more we can discover about their lives and ensure they continue to thrive in our waters,"

Evan Landy, a postgraduate student from Falmouth, is hoping to interview fishermen, surfers, coastal walkers, swimmers or anyone who has seen a basking shark up close in Cornwall to see how local knowledge compares with formal data collected in recent years.

"By hearing from local Cornish people who have lived with basking sharks over a number of years, I want to find out how they view the creatures," he said.

"Are there more or less than there were say 10 or 20 years ago? Is it a privilege to be up close and personal with basking sharks, or a hindrance to normal activities? We hope to be able to create a map of the region showing where the sharks gather, what they do and for how long."

Through their long-running Basking Shark Watch programme, the MCS has already been alerted by the public to sightings around Land's End.

April's warm weather has resulted in more early close encounters for coastal walkers, who have spotted the huge animals close to shore at traditional basking shark hotspots.

They appear to have come about a month early compared to usual years when sharks start appearing in May.

Rachel Wyatt, from Portreath, was walking along the cliffs at Porthcurno, near Land's End, when she saw a basking shark in the sea below.

"It was quite unexpected as it's so early in the season.

"It was a really great sight as it swam up and down this stretch of coast, probably within about five metres of the cliff.

"We had a good view of its huge mouth which was wide open."

Anyone who regularly sees basking sharks in Cornwall can contact Evan Landy at ejl211@exeter.ac.uk