In a first for the research and study of basking sharks off the coast of western Scotland, SharkCam followed basking sharks to discover more about the world’s second largest species of shark.
The REMUS SharkCam technology from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was used to observe the behavior of basking sharks in the Inner Hebrides of the United Kingdom. Data captured by the autonomous underwater vehicle, including high-quality oceanographic data and wide angle high-definition video of their behavior, may lead to the world’s first protected area for basking sharks in this part of the sea.
“This year’s collaboration has allowed us to use a combination of camera technologies and given us a glimpse of basking sharks’ underwater behaviour – a real first and very exciting. The footage has already made us reassess their behaviour, with the sharks appearing to spend much more time swimming just above the seabed than we previously thought,” said Dr Suzanne Henderson, Marine Policy and Advice Officer at SNH.
The area is one of only a few world-wide where large numbers of basking sharks are found feeding — or maybe even breeding — in the surface waters each year.
“Our seas and coasts are home to some incredible wildlife. As our oceans come under increasing pressure, innovative technology like the REMUS SharkCam Robot can reveal our underwater world like never before and help to show why it must be protected,” Dr. Jenny Oates, WWF SEAS Programme Manager, said. “It is essential that we safeguard our seas, not just to enable magnificent species like basking sharks to thrive, but because all life on earth depends on our oceans.”