TikTok user Sebastian_outdoors (@sebastian_outdoors) shared a video of the close encounter with a shark they experienced while kayaking in the ocean.
The video shows Sebastian sitting absolutely still, while a shark swims in front of and then right by their kayak.
@sebastian_outdoors How would you react if this huge shark was swimming right at you ? 🦈 This was such an awesome day out on the water with a total of around 5 or 6 sharks in the area and a couple were curious enough to come right at me 🦈 This was the second shark that came straight towards me 🦈 Luckily it's a basking shark so I knew I didn't have to worry… I was sat watching this huge shark in the distance feeding and it slowly got closer and closer until it came within inches of me! This shark was around 18 foot long!! It stuck around for a couple of minutes, making a couple of passes by until it went off to the left of me and I paddled further off to the right 🌊 I've kayaked with basking sharks in the past but usually they don't come over so close! I have more footage from the last shark that came right at the kayak where you can see it fully out feeding which will be posted shortly! (For clarification it's an offence to intentionally disturb wildlife in Scotland and this video was filmed at a safe respectful distance as I observed the shark feeding I was sat still for a prolonged period of time approximately 150m away before the shark came over towards the kayak. It then continued to feed off to the left of me and I left the immediate area once it passed me. I then continued to observe the animal feed whilst I was sat over 100m away. My hand is in the water as I was filming with a GoPro as it went past. I was not trying to touch the animal and I would never condone anyone to touch a wild animal) #shark #fyp #ocean #travel #animal ♬ original sound - Sebastian_outdoors
They wrote in the caption: "How would you react if this huge shark was swimming right at you? This was such an awesome day out on the water with a total of around 5 or 6 sharks in the area … luckily it's a basking shark so I knew I didn't have to worry."
Sebastian also added, "It's an offence to intentionally disturb wildlife in Scotland and this video was filmed at a safe, respectful distance as I observed the shark feeding."
As this TikToker explained, they knew they didn't need to worry since these were merely basking sharks, which aren't of particular risk to humans. Despite their tendency not to be dangerous, though, any human-wildlife encounter has the potential to go wrong, and when it comes to the basking shark, these interactions can prove harmful to the animal.
These sharks are a vulnerable species, with the IUCN Red List currently listing them as "endangered." Due to changes in the climate, rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, habitat degradation, and overfishing, this shark species' population has seen a decline.
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Basking sharks are highly migratory, moving back and forth across international waters, which can put them in closer contact with humans. However, the species has also altered its migratory patterns in recent years to compensate for all the challenges it now faces.
Sebastian, though, demonstrated excellent etiquette in how to behave when coming across basking sharks by staying at a respectful distance and ensuring no contact was made with the sharks.
Other TikTok users varied in their responses to the encounter, with some saying they wouldn't have been nearly as calm, and others sharing in the original poster's excitement.
"I'd be psyched because it's a basking shark," said one person.
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Another responded, "Instant panic attack. Probably flip myself over into the water."
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