Local fishermen Richard Emmerson and Russ Conlon captured the extraordinary moment while sailing along the coast.
At an impressive 30 feet long and weighing seven tonnes, basking sharks are Britain’s largest animals.
Despite their size, they are not aggressive and feed solely on plankton, which they filter through their enormous open mouths.
Richard said at the time: “In the 38 years we’ve been out fishing and running boat trips along the Flamborough coast, this is the first time we’ve ever seen a basking shark.”
Tom Marshall, from the Yorkshire Nature Triangle, added: “There have only been a handful of sightings of basking sharks in the North Sea over recent years and it really is special to see one so close to the Yorkshire coast.”
This story was originally published in the York Press.