Fit bit style technology attached to a basking shark has revealed how the seven-metre animal was hit by a boat off the Kerry coast.
A scientific team from Trinity College Dublin had fitted the device with an integrated camera to the female basking shark to gather data on the animal.
Only six hours later she was hit by a boat in an area which is part of Páirc Naisiúnta na Mara.
Basking sharks are endangered worldwide and it’s believed there may be only 4,000 left in the Northeast Atlantic.
It’s believed that Ireland may host between 10-20% of basking sharks which are the world’s second largest shark and fish species.
Basking sharks became officially protected in Ireland in 2022.
While the initial boat strike on the shark off the Kerry coast wasn’t fatal, it’s not clear how significant the animal’s injuries were and if she survived.
Nick Payne who’s assistant professor in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Natural Sciences says the incident underlines how vulnerable basking sharks are to boats and highlights the need for greater education to mitigate against such strikes.
