Snorkeler's close encounter with 9ft basking shark

A wildlife ranger had a close encounter with a young basking shark in the St Kilda archipelago.

The endangered animal, measuring almost 3m (9ft) long, was spotted at Village Bay on the island of Hirta.

Craig Nisbet, who works for National trust for Scotland (NTS), grabbed his snorkelling gear and camera in the hope of photographing it from a distance.

During Mr Nisbet's swim, the harmless shark moved closer and swam within a metre of him.

Basking sharks migrate from waters off west Africa to Scotland's west coast where they gather to breed.

The fins and snout of the young shark were visible from the beach at Village Bay.