Basking sharks are now a 'protected wild animal' under Irish law.
That means it is illegal to hunt, injure or interfere with the globally threatened species in Ireland's marine areas under the 1976 Wildlife Act.
Basking sharks are the world’s second biggest shark and can grow as big as 12 metres in length. Instead of feasting on wildlife like seals and other fish, they use their mouths and large ‘gill rakers’ to catch microscopic zooplankton.
