Portugal is known for visiting many species such as dolphins, but it is also sometimes sharks that come to discover the Portuguese coastline. Indeed, a large basking shark, the 2nd largest species in the world, was seen this Saturday in Sesimbra, during a boat trip from the Dive Club Cipreia, more exactly on their return to the marina. This rare moment of extreme beauty has been captured in video. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this meeting with the second largest fish in the world, the basking shark.

The animal is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark and is "totally harmless to humans". The divers, after seeing this magnificent specimen, did not hesitate and jumped into the water to document this rare and beautiful moment.

Although it is impossible to confirm if it was the same animal, a basking shark was also seen on the Faro Island in Faro, during a boat trip with friends.

Marine biologist Elio Vicente told the newspaper Correio da Manhã that this animal is "totally harmless to humans" and that it "constitutes a natural and regular presence" in the waters off the coast of the Algarve or the Arrabida.

Elio Vicente explained that the fact that he appears with his mouth wide open and close to the coast, when the plankton is plentiful, is one of the plausible reasons to conclude that it is a basking shark.

"It's unusual for a shark to appear so near the shore and with the naked eye, but it's not unusual," said the biologist, adding that he was "common across the Atlantic coast of Portugal. to see these animals appear ".

Article translated from website Postal.pt

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