Nairn’s coastline has once again provided the backdrop to a another remarkable wildlife sighting, with basking sharks spotted swimming just offshore.
One lucky visitor, Tracy O’Hagan from Glasgow, caught a close-up glimpse during a dolphin-watching trip on August 30. Her video captures the huge fish breaking the surface and circling near the boat – a rare close-up view of the ocean’s elusive giants.
Tracy said: “We booked a dolphin spotting trip with Dolphin spirit and we were out on the RHIB boat when we came across 10 basking sharks just off Nairn.
“The one in the video was the biggest and approached the boat on its own. We were sitting with engines turned off watching them for around 30 mins.”
Basking sharks are the world’s second-largest fish, reaching lengths of up to twelve metres. Despite their size, they are harmless filter-feeders, relying on seasonal plankton blooms which often draw them closer to shore in late summer and early autumn.
Tracy’s footage was not the only one to emerge – several Nairn residents and visitors on paddleboards, small boats, and even from the beach also recorded their encounters, sharing videos of the sharks basking calmly in the still waters.
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