Tourists and locals alike were treated to a fantastic sight, when a 22 foot basking shark decided to have a swim in the shallows at Porthcurno beach, a short distance from our luxury Cornish cottages.
What made this moment more magical was two lifeguards decided to grab their boards and paddle out for a closer inspection of these fantastic animals. The sharks are not threatening in any way and were part of a group of four that were feeding on plankton just a few yards from the white sands of Porthcurno.
The sharks are seasonal visitors to the Cornish waters normally being spotted between May and October. This is the time when the Atlantic waters around the South West of England start to warm up, causing the plankton rich waters to rise to the surface, which is known as upwelling. Coincidently this is the best time to come and stay at The Valleys luxury Cornish cottages, with the warm weather and explosion of nature just two reasons to come down to the Duchy… who knows, you may even have your own Basking Shark experience!
Watch the lifeguard’s GoPro video below to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
Other articles you may also find interesting:
Rare Whale spotted off Cornwall
Cornish beaches awarded Blue Flag status
Photo by: ad_nl/Instagram
THE VALLEY is proud to be the only 5 Star Gold Self Catering holiday village of its size in the whole of Cornwall
