Basking sharks have made an appearance on Scotland’s west coast earlier than usual this year due to much warmer water temperaturesl.

Although it’s always a fun and exciting experience watching these massive fish swim slowly and elegantly near the surface with their fins often breaking the surface, there are important things to remember.

In the interest of basking shark research and conservation, the Shark Trust has asked members of the public to report their sightings of basking sharks and submit photos where possible.

Basking sharks area a protected species under European Law and it’s a criminal offence to interfere with them, so the Shark Trust have published a code of conduct telling people how they can act responsibly if they encounter a shark. At the Shark Trust website you can read the Shark Trust Codes of Conduct for boat users, swimmers and kayakers .

At Staffa Tours, we take marine wildlife watching very seriously and always act safely and responsibly whenever we spot a basking shark nearby.

So if you’re out on the water or on the coast this Spring, keep an eye out for those massive basking shark dorsal and tail fins. Good luck and happy shark spotting!