A pair of kayakers was in for quite a surprise when they went for a ride off the coast of Cork, in the south of Ireland, on Monday.
Recalling the astonishing experience, Louise Barker and Becky Hatchett said they felt a "little bump" under their boat and then realized it was from a curious basking shark.
Video of the encounter shows the shark swimming right under the kayak before moving on.
A regular kayaker in the area, Barker says shark sightings were more common during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that "now with the trawlers out we don’t see as much activity."
Basking sharks are the second-largest shark species in the world. They are seven to nine metres long, on average, but can reach more than 10 metres in length.
They can live up to 50 years.