Thursday 18 June 2009

Basking in the Shark Sunshine in Cornwall



Anyone who knows me well enough knows very well of my humongous fear of my dry-suit in the UK, but when I heard that the Basking Sharks were in town, there was no time to hang around! A 7 hr trek to Penzance on Monday and little sleep was all worth it to meet Charles Hood from Dive Magazine and his Rib Logan. It was a wonderful sunny day and indescribable how awesome it was to be back on the sea. I felt like I was abroad, the beaches down there are divine. Two hours later, the first sighting was made of a large adult Basking Shark, and I was ready to pass out in shock. It came round and round Logan, circling again and again. I crept in the water and the temperature was a tropical 15 degrees, far warmer than Alaska! We saw about 8 that day with reports by fisherman saying that they had seen up to 40 that morning. I felt completely humbled and so fortunate to see these wonderful creatures so close. It is a memory that I will never forget and definitely one of the best underwater experiences ever. For more information visit www.charleshood.com or if you fancy a trip down there.