We had found what we had come to see (or should that be; What we had come to see had found us), the experience had far exceeded our expectations but there was more to come.....
Our initial encounter had been very exhilarating but all too brief, it had also raised the question of why the shark had seemed so interested. It didn't feel as though it was a coincidence and we would later be offered an explanation for this seemingly inquisitive behaviour.
We had paddled for the remainder of the day, frequently glancing over our shoulders in hope (and trepidation) that we may repeat the experience.
Our decision to return the next day was born of our own curiousity. We knew that we must cover as much water as possible to stand any chance of success and it was with some reluctance that we left our kayaks behind and joined a local 'sea safari' trip, the company we chose were based in Penzance and agreed to take us to the place of the sighting.
When we arrived the morning trip was just returning and we were concerned to hear that they had seen no sign of any unusual wildlife, let alone a Shark. We boarded the rib and it was not long before we had arrived at the location of our last sighting.
We were in awe of the sight that greeted us; Up to twenty sets of dorsal and tail fins were moving in all directions, slicing gracefully around the protected water of the bay. We were informed that this was an extremely rare sight, we were witnessing the courting ritual of the illusive Basking Shark, it was a trully amazing and majestic display.
We felt both humbled and priveleged as we watched; The males (we assume), some of which were easily thirty feet from nose to tail, follow closely behind the females, they moved gently but purposefully. There was no aggression, in fact there seemed to be a form of etiquette in play as two or three males joined in the procession behind one female.
I couldn't help but wonder if the previous days encounter had been a case of mistaken identity; Could it have been that a male Basking Shark had taken a fancy to my kayak?.... another shiver went down my spine.
We watched this amazing spectacle for an hour or so before we were able to tear ourselves away and continue our exploration of the nearby coastline, we counted a further six individuals along the coast before returning to Penzance.
It goes without saying that we have reserved our seat for next years performance!
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