Overview
- Dozens of basking sharks were sighted and filmed in Donegal Bay near Mullaghmore Head, with photographers and local groups documenting group feeding and multiple breaches.
- The animals have been identified as basking sharks, a harmless plankton-feeding species that can grow to many metres and is protected in Irish waters.
- Footage published on Friday shows sharks travelling in groups by the dozen and feeding very close to shore, behavior that is unusual and draws scientific interest.
- Donegal Bay Trust and local photographers are asking the public to report sightings to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group to strengthen records for conservation and study.
- Experts quoted in coverage caution that warming seas could drive shifts in shark distributions over time, a broader context that underlines the value of thorough sighting data.