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Duncan Murrell - A Whale of a Time

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Duncan Murrell - A Whale of a Time

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  • I was awestruck when I was close enough to watch one cruise past me just beneath the surface. My first impression was that I was looking at a very prehistoric creature that could have been swimming alongside aquatic dinosaurs. It was astonishing to watch how the appearance of their head changed so quickly and dramatically as soon as they opened their jaws to commence feeding on the plankton soup; I can best describe it as a large umbrella popping open. I wasn’t in a position to climb out of my kayak to swim with them so I had to attempt to photograph them from the surface. I had brought a Canon G5 compact camera with a wide-angle extension lens, inside an Ikelite housing to take underwater photos. I had to try to position myself directly in front of them but not obstructing their passage, but that was difficult to do because when they are feeding they don’t just swim in a straight line but more in circles. I had to be very patient to get some reasonably good shots, and of course I was only holding the camera and housing over the side so I had to anticipate and estimate when they were in the frame. It took quite a lot of trial and error before I was successful. The visibility was very low because the water was so thick with plankton, which attracted 3 or 3 sharks as far as I can remember. I was so transfixed by these amazing but strange looking creatures that I had to drag myself away from them because I still had a long paddle ahead of me to get to Mull and Lunga, but I was quite sure that it wasn’t my last encounter with basking sharks on the trip, and fortunately I was right about that. It has recently been confirmed by data collected by the Wildlife Trusts that the place where I had my first encounter with basking sharks, Gunna Sound, between Coll and Tiree is a hotspot for them with numbers up to 4 times higher than recorded elsewhere in the UK.
    Kayaking-West-Coast-Scotland12.jpg
  • The west coast of Scotland is one of the best places in the world, along with my home region of the SW of England, for seeing basking sharks, the second largest fish in the world. They can grow up to 10m (33ft) long. They are an open water shark, but move closer to shore in summer to feed on the plankton bloom. They are usually solitary, but occasionally gather in aggregations of 100 or more where there are large concentrations of plankton, usually where there are tidal fronts where different water masses meet. They are filter feeders, and in 1 hour they can filter 1.5 million litres (330,000 gallons) of water through their gills. They are highly migratory, but long-distance tracking of individuals only began recently, and it is still unknown whether they migrate between lower and higher latitudes, or between deep and shallow water. Their livers contain a large proportion of oil typical of deepwater sharks, which may indicate that they spend some time in deep water. Very little is known about their breeding. They probably mature late and reproduce slowly, making them particularly vulnerable to overfishing, especially as fisheries catch more females than males. They were once fished commercially on a small scale around Scotland for their huge livers, which contain oils formerly used in various industries, with a peak recorded catch of 250 sharks in 1947. But in response to dwindling numbers the basking shark has been fully protected since 1998. <br />
Because they swim at the surface, these magnificent sharks are easily harmed, either deliberately or accidentally. Currently, potential threats include bycatch in fishing nets, and disturbance or impact by jet-skis, speedboats and other vessels. Globally its conservation status is currently listed as vulnerable.
    Kayaking-West-Coast-Scotland13.jpg
  • Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on plankton on the surface with tourists, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philppines.
    whale-shark-people-palawan_MG_5210-E...jpg
  • From Ariganour I paddled south along the east coast of Coll passing the big open Crossapol Bay with extensive sandy beaches, and stopped to camp near Calgary Point and the small island of Gunna in the strait that divides Coll from the adjacent Isle of Tiree. It was another really beautiful location, and kayaking around to the west coast allowed me to experience the ocean swells and the feeling of open exposure to the North Atlantic. The next morning shortly after heading out for the long crossing to the south end of Mull and then Lunga, I had the encounter that I had been hoping for – basking sharks !! In the distance I could see their tall tail fins sweeping from side to side, and as I got closer, their unmistakeably comical bulbous snout ploughing across the surface above their massively inflated jaws while feeding on plankton. I was so excited, and full of eager anticipation to get close enough to see them underwater. It was one of those magical moments akin to when I had my first whale encounters in a kayak. I couldn’t wait!!
    Kayaking-West-Coast-Scotland11.jpg
  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
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  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1822.jpg
  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1821.jpg
  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1829.jpg
  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1828.jpg
  • Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1826.jpg
  • Giant oceanic manta ray, Manta birostris, feeding near the surface, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines, Sulu Sea Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1823.jpg
  • Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1825.jpg
  • Oceanic manta ray ( Manta birostris ), Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Oceanic manta ray (Manta birostris) barrel roll feeding. Honda Bay, Palawan
    _MG_1827.jpg
  • Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on plankton on the surface with a snorkeller, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philppines.
    whale-shark-people-palawan_MG_7789.jpg
  • Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on plankton at the surface with tourists, Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philppines.
    whale-shark-people-palawan_MG_5339.jpg