'Exciting' harbour sighting of basking shark in Cornwall

The sighting of a basking shark in Cornwall this week has been dubbed "exciting" by a wildlife trust.

It comes after a video emerged on social media of the animal in St Ives harbour.

Abby Crosby, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the harbour sighting was nothing to be concerned about.

Ms Crosby said basking sharks were becoming increasingly rare in the region due to warming waters.

She said: "Basking sharks are the second largest shark in the world and incredibly, we have them in our UK waters, which many people don't even realise."

Ms Crosby said Cornwall had been "very lucky" in recent decades to have basking sharks in significant numbers.

Olga Bates spotted the animal while staying in St Ives with her family

She said: "In around 2012, basking shark numbers did decline in our waters.

"It's felt perhaps that they have sort of shifted further up north, following their key food source, this very particular plankton which prefers a cooler water, therefore we're not seeing as many here in Cornwall.

"When we do see them, and we do still see them annually, it's a wonderful sight.

Ms Crosby said basking sharks were a protected species, and urged people to keep their distance.

"It is illegal to deliberately harass, or disturb, or of course injure and kill them," she said.

'Susceptible to disturbance'

Ms Crosby said: "They're not the brightest of animals, they have a brain the size of a walnut, so when they are in our coastal shallow waters and they are focused entirely on feeding, they can be really susceptible to disturbance and to injury from other water users.

"So we would just call out to the members of the public to keep their distance, admire these beautiful creatures from afar, and make sure they're protected for future generations to enjoy."

She added the sighting was "exciting and something to be celebrated".

Olga Bates, who filmed the video of the animal on Wednesday morning, said at first, she thought it was a dolphin until it turned side on.

Ms Bates and her family were staying in the area when they spotted the shark in the harbour from their apartment.

She said the experience was "very exciting."