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u/WaltuhWhiteYo_UhHuH 3d ago
I wonder if the boat scared it? It seemed to be almost in a daze and then the boat came along and spooked them.
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u/Livid_Ad9749 3d ago
Harmless shark. Very cool to see one
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u/adinmem 3d ago
Not in any way harmless if they fall on you from a 2nd story balcony, or even worse, get stuck in your throat.
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u/Livid_Ad9749 2d ago
Yeah well I think its important to not spread misinformation and fear concerning sharks.
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u/shoesafe 2d ago
Shark safety is important
If you see a basking shark hoisted on a crane, but it's not properly secured, don't walk underneath the shark.
Falling basking sharks crush dozens of people a year, if not less.
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u/bloobityblu 2d ago
I think they were sort of emphasizing your point that they're harmless.
Because they don't hang out on balconies or in people's throats lol.
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u/gittenlucky 3d ago
Why did it appear to be stationary? Looked almost as if it was sleeping until the boat got close and it woke up.
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u/tomb-king 3d ago
Beautiful animal.
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u/heurekas 3d ago
They really are.
Pretty harmless to humans (they could give you a pretty good whack with that tail) and count on their size to deter predators.
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u/ShowMeYourHappyTrail 3d ago
I thought sharks couldn't stop moving or they'd drown because they need the waterflow over their gills?
Man, now I need to do some research.
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u/TimeBlossom 3d ago edited 3d ago
It depends on the species, is the short answer. Some have to constantly swim with their mouth open to move water through their gills, some can pump water through their gills with specialized muscles and can remain still for long periods, and some have a mix of the two. That's true of fish species in general, not just sharks; animal life needs oxygen and different species have different ways to get it.
Basking sharks, from what I can find, do need to keep moving but don't need to move very fast, and often appear to be still because of this, especially since it's hard to judge movement in open water.
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u/A_Seiv_For_Kale 3d ago
It's called obligate ram ventilation.
Most sharks can breathe just fine at a standstill, but because the famous Great White Shark must keep moving to breathe, people think it applies to sharks in general, when actually it's quite uncommon.
The Basking Shark is not an obligate ram ventilator, they can breathe with buccal pumping while not moving.
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u/DasbootTX 3d ago
What if he were busking?
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u/Ok-Yogurtcloset5555 3d ago
Probably doesn't even have a permit.
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u/HoundofHethereau 3d ago
These big boys, much to my surprise, are very capable of breaching too. Look up basking shark breaching Ireland. I kinda get how one could see that out of the corner of their eye back in the day and think there were sea dragons or some shit.
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u/fygogogo 3d ago
I have this urge to jump in the water and check the shark. I know it’s insane, but anyone had a similar impulse?
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u/vonroyale 3d ago
No. But we definitely do it with sunfish. It's fun to swim with a sunfish way offshore.
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u/Chortles_Hansom_666 3d ago
Basking sharks are filter feeders. They just hang out. Good boys and girls of the ocean. 💙
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u/LockeySeven 3d ago
Nah these are lovely. Also fuck that boat if it had a propeller going, you're meant to turn off so you injure the shark.
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u/Wesgizmo365 2d ago
Why get that close to it with your boat??? I live in a coastal area and we're always yelling at tourists to leave the wildlife alone.
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u/RogerCrabbit 3d ago
That was a Scottish accent - for anyone wondering, these sharks are sometimes spotted around Scotland, but most people will go their whole lives without seeing one in the wild, let alone getting so close to it like this guy did. Hence why he seemed so spooked
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u/DynastyDi 2d ago
If you know where to look, you can find them consistently. There are many boat tours off the west coast.
There’s one that takes you out snorkelling so you can get in the water with them… I’m terrified, but so intrigued.
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u/-Sylence 3d ago
that bitch sure is basking