Watch: Huge basking sharks get up close and personal with Malin Head canoeists

Looks like they all had fun (after that initial flood of terror at the appearance of that distinctive fin).

Aug 20th 2015, 11:04 AM 18,792 18

IT MUST HAVE been a hairy moment, watching that first distinctive fin rise out of the water.

Thankfully, the creatures that approached this group of kayakers off Malin Head weren’t remotely dangerous.

The close encounter happened on Sunday – and the basking sharks spent quite a while in the company of the paddlers, before swimming away.

They’re quite a sight to behold (as is the sunshine) …

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Shark (?)

The basking shark is the world’s second largest fish, with adults an average of six to eight metres in length.

It is easily distinguishable by its huge, gaping mouth – an adaptation that helps it filter the plankton on which it feeds.

They are seen with reasonable regularity off the Irish coast.

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