SWAY WITH ME: BASKING SHARKS

Summer signals the arrival of these gentle giants, wending their way through British waters

- Mike Dilger

WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO nature programmes that serve up a rich diet of charismatic wildlife from far-flung locations. Such is the spotlight on exotic destinations, however, viewers could be forgiven for assuming that it's only elsewhere on the planet that the biggest and best wildlife spectacles are taking place. Fortunately, that's not the case at all - truly world-class wild experiences do occur closer to home, with the seasonal appearance of the oceans' second-largest fish being a prime example.

Deferring only to the whale shark in size, the basking shark is Britain's largest fish by a metaphorical country mile. Matching a double-decker bus in length and tipping the scales at about seven tonnes, these gargantuan dimensions may give the impression of a fearsome monster. Their appearance, however, belies their true nature: basking sharks definitely fall into the category of 'gentle giant'.

Did you know? Usually weak swimmers, and varying in size from under two micrometres to 200 millimetres, zooplankton just drift with the currents