Video: Drone footage captures school of basking sharks
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Caught on camera by wildlife tour company Sea Wild Scotland, the film shows the sharks swimming in clear shallow water between Coll and Mull in the Hebrides.
And the crystal clear waters look more reminiscent of the Seychelles than chilly Scotland.
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Hide AdJames Fairbairns, skipper and owner of Sea Wild, said: “The sharks are a little bit later than usual but it’s pretty normal to have them here by now.
“It’s unusual that we would see on in shallow waters like that. It’s the first time we’ve seen it in 20 odd years.”
The drone footage was captured last Thursday during a wildlife trip, and James, 37, said tours to see basking sharks were steadily becoming more popular.
They spend their summers in Scottish and northern waters before heading south for winter.
He said: “It’s only recently that interest has grown. More and more people are now going to see them.
“Basking sharks come here to feed and also to breed.
“We’ve been part of a tagging programme for the last four years. They’re annually coming back to the same location.
“We can watch the tagged ones when they migrate. Some went down to Cape Verde and the west coast of Africa.”
Basking sharks are the second largest living fish and only eat plankton.
They can grow up to 33 feet long and open their mouths several feet wide when they feed.
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