Basking shark Photo-identification

Basking Shark
Photo-Identification
Introduction
Basking Shark Facts
©Anthony Robson
The Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus is the second largest fish
in the sea after the Whale Shark Rhincodon typus and is a seasonal
visitor to the United Kingdom coastline during the spring and summer
months. Feeding only on plankton, Basking Sharks can grow to over
10 metres in length and weigh up to seven tonnes.
This handbook has been designed for charter vessels, private
vessels, researchers and members of the public and hopes to
engage more people in Basking Shark conservation. It provides
information regarding:
Basking Shark biology
Code of Conduct for boat handlers and swimmers/divers
Use of photo-identification, how to take a good ID
photograph and how to submit it
Other British shark species
So next time you go to the coast, keep your eyes peeled for the fins of
Basking Sharks breaking the sea-surface; you may be lucky enough
to see Britain’s largest shark!
Basking Shark breaching.
Save Our Seas Foundation.
SOSF is an international conservation organisation based in Geneva,
Switzerland with offices in the USA, UK and South Africa. SOSF is
committed to protecting our oceans by funding research, education,
awareness and conservation projects focusing on the major threats
to the marine environment.
www.saveourseas.com.
Marine Conservation International.
Based in Edinburgh, UK, Marine Conservation International is a
partnership of research scientists dedicated to securing the effective
conservation of the planet’s marine life.
www.marineconservationinternational.org
Photo-ID Community Partners also include:
Shark Trust.
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust is the UK registered charity
which works to advance the worldwide conservation of sharks
through science, education, influence and action.
www.sharktrust.org
Manx Basking Shark Watch
A Manx Wildlife Trust Project. A public sightings scheme and scientific
research project run by the Manx Wildlife Trust.
www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com
Irish Basking Shark Study Group
©Charles Hood.
An amalgamation of research studies of Basking Sharks in Irish
waters, using photo ID and tagging methods.
www.baskingshark.ie
i
1 metre
This project is funded by:
Supported by:
Text © Shark Trust. Illustrations © Marc Dando. Design www.flukeart.com
Name: Basking Shark - Cetorhinus maximus. Cetorhinus is derived
from the Greek, “ketos” meaning a marine monster or whale and
“rhinos” which means nose, while the species name "maximus" is
Latin, meaning great.
Size: The average adult length is around 6.5 to 9 m, however it is
believed that Basking Sharks can grow over 10 metres in length. Up
to one quarter of their weight comprises of the liver which is very
large and rich in squalene oil.
Reproduction: There is limited information on the reproductive
strategy of Basking Sharks, however they are believed to lay eggs
in the womb that hatch internally, the shark then gives birth to live
young, a process known as ovoviviparity. It is unclear exactly what size
juveniles are at birth but it is estimated to be between 1.5 and 2 m.
Food: Basking Sharks are one of only three filter feeding shark
species, the others being the Whale Shark Rhincodon typus and
the Megamouth Shark Megachasma pelagios. Basking Sharks
feed passively on zooplankton (such as small copepods, barnacles,
decapods larvae, fish eggs, and deep-water oceanic shrimp). They
are thought to be capable of filtering over 1800 tonnes of water
per hour, resulting in them having, on average, half a tonne of food
material present in their stomach. They are a very slow moving
species and ordinarily cruise at around 2.5 – 4 mph.
Distribution: Basking Sharks have a circumglobal distribution
and can be found in cold to warm temperate waters. Studies have
demonstrated trans-atlantic and trans-equatorial migrations
by Basking Sharks. Movements of Basking Sharks are driven by
zooplankton, satellite tracking of sharks has demonstrated that
Basking Sharks are able to locate plankton ‘hot spots’ over ranges
of about 500 km.
Behaviour: Basking Sharks are a pelagic species often seen singly
or in groups feeding at or below the ocean surface. Despite their size,
they can leap clean out of the water, in an act known as breaching. This
seems to be most common when in large groups and may be linked
with courtship activity. Breaching occurs without warning and can occur
three or more times on a 30 second basis. For this reason it makes
sense for any boat to move away quickly but carefully, keeping an eye
out for sharks swimming below the surface, when sharks start to breach
in their vicinity. (Please refer to the Code of Conduct on page 6).
Tagging: You may spot a Basking Shark with either a coloured
plastic tag or a microphone shaped satellite tag attached near the
base of its dorsal fin. These are used to study their numbers and
migration patterns. Please let the Shark Trust know if you see or find
such a tag and we will pass details of your sighting on to the relevant
research group.
©Simon Berrow.
Conservation, protection and man’s impacts on this species
Basking Shark with tag.
ii
Conservation and Protection
Man’s Impact
Man’s Impact
Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species
Despite being heavily protected, Basking Sharks are still negatively
affected by man’s activities. Basking Sharks rarely evade
approaching boats and as a consequence commonly display scars
from boat collisions, propellers and net entanglement. The Shark
Trust is investigating the extent to which Basking Sharks are being
affected by these impacts and we are very keen to receive reports
and pictures of these incidents or damage to sharks, which you can
submit through the website – www.baskingsharks.org. Learning
more about how Basking Sharks are affected by man’s activities
will enable the development of better strategies for protecting the
sharks in our waters.
The UK government has made a commitment to conserving some of
the UK’s more threatened species by creating BAPs. The Shark Trust
is one of three leading partners for the Basking Shark Species Action
Plan (SAP), along with The Wildlife Trusts and Marine Conservation
Society, and has created a Code of Conduct to encourage water users
to enjoy observing Basking Sharks safely without causing excessive
disturbance or harassment.
If you see a live injured, stranded or entangled Basking Shark then
please contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team on
01825 765546. It is also very important to record any incidents
of dead Basking Shark strandings as it could provide us with vital
clues about the shark’s biology or cause of death. If you come
across a stranded Basking Shark then please report it to the UK
Cetacean Strandings Investigation Project on 0207 9425155.
To report any other unusual marine sightings, non-native species or
sightings of marine mammals, turtles and jellyfish go to the Marine
Life Information Network (MarLIN) website and fill in their online
form – www.marlin.ac.uk/rml.
©Andrew Carne.
Threats
Previously, Basking Sharks have been heavily fished for their liver oil, meat, fins
and cartilage. Although now protected and under significantly reduced fishing
pressure, Basking Sharks are very slow to mature and have a low reproductive
output and therefore still remain listed as globally Vulnerable on the IUCN’s
Red List and Endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and North Pacific.
MCS
Marine
Conservation
Society
Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime – PAW
Report incidents of disturbance or harassment to a Basking Shark
www.defra.gov.uk/paw.
Responsible Eco-tourism WiSE Scheme
WiSE (Wildlife Safe) is a scheme to deliver training and
accreditation for operators of registered passenger and
charter vessels wishing to view marine life.
www.wisescheme.org
Protection
In British Waters, Basking Sharks are protected from capture and disturbance
up to 12 miles offshore, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), the
Northern Ireland Wildlife Order (1985), the Nature Conservation (Scotland)
Act (2001), and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000). These Acts
make it illegal to intentionally kill, harass or disturb the sharks, and offenders
face up to 6 months in prison and a large fine. Designated a ‘Prohibited
Species’ in the EU, it is illegal for all EU and third country vessels to fish for,
retain on board, tranship or land them in all EU waters.
©Rory Goodall.
Internationally, Basking Sharks are listed under a number of international
agreements including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) Appendix II, The Convention of Migratory Species (CMS)
Appendix I and II and Annex I of the United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS).
©Colin Speedie/Swiss Shark Foundation.
©Lizzy Raymond.
iii
iv
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Basking Shark Code of Conduct
BOAT HANDLERS
BOAT HANDLERS
The following guidelines have been designed to help boat handlers reduce the risk of
injuring or harassing Basking Sharks.
Basking
Shark
Code
of Conduct
Basking
Shark
Code
of Conduct
SWIMMERS
AND DIVERS
SWIMMERS
AND DIVERS
The following
have been have
designed
help swimmers
and divers and
reduce
thereduce
risk of the risk of
Theguidelines
following guidelines
beento
designed
to help swimmers
divers
injuring or injuring
harassing
Sharks.
orBasking
harassing
Basking Sharks.
Swimming
with Basking
Sharks Sharks
Swimming
with Basking
Boat control near Basking Sharks
Restrict your speed to below 6 knots and avoid
sudden speed changes.
When closer than 100 m switch the engine to neutral
to avoid injuring sharks.
The viewing distance between the boat and large
groups or courting sharks should be at least 500m.
Be extremely cautious in areas where Basking Sharks
have been seen breaching.
10m
Jet-skis should stay at least 500 m away from
Basking Sharks.
Remember that for every shark visible on the surface
there are likely to be more hidden just below.
Do not try to Do
touch
notthe
try sharks.
to touch the sharks.
Maintain a distance
of aatdistance
least 4 moffrom
each
Maintain
at least
4 m from each
shark and beshark
wary of
the
and
betail.
wary of the tail.
Groups of swimmers
should
stay together
andtogether and
Groups of
swimmers
should stay
ideally remain
at theremain
surface.
ideally
at the surface.
Restrict the number
people
in the
water at
Restrictof
the
number
of people
in any
the water at any
one time. one time.
Take plenty of
pictures
but
flash
Take
plenty
of avoid
pictures
but avoid flash
photographyphotography
which can scare
thecan
sharks.
which
scare the sharks.
Photograph any
characteristic
features which
Photograph
any characteristic
features which
RememberRemember
that for
may help re-identify
the
shark in the
may help
re-identify
thefuture.
shark in the future.
Remember that for
every shark visible
on the surface there
are likely to be more
hidden below
20m
Tips
30m
Take time to observe the direction of movement of
the Basking Sharks to anticipate their course – you
can then position yourself for the best view.
Don’t forget to
take pictures of the
fins for the photoidentification project
40m
Don’t forget to take pictures of the fins for the photoidentification project.
Basking Sharks are protected under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act (1981), the Countryside and Rights of Way
Act (2000), the Northern Ireland Wildlife Order (1985) and the
Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act (2004). These Acts make it
illegal to intentionally kill, injure or recklessly disturb or harass
Basking Sharks in British waters. Any person committing such
an offence could face up to 6 months in prison and a large fine.
50m
Internationally, Basking Sharks are listed under CITES
Appendix II, CMS
Appendix
I and
II and UNCLOS
Annex
I.
Appendix
II, CMS
Appendix
I and II and
UNCLOS
Annex I.
70m
that for
every shark
visible
every
shark visible
on the surface
there
on the
surface there
1m
are likely are
to belikely
more to be more
hidden below
hidden below
Do not use underwater
devices.
Do not usepropelled
underwater
propelled devices.
Tips
Tips
2m
Aim to anticipate
theanticipate
directionthe
of movement
Aim to
direction ofofmovement of
the sharks and
theand
water
100the
m water
ahead100
of m ahead of
theenter
sharks
enter
the sharks. the sharks.
2m
3m
Basking Sharks
are protected
under
the Wildlife
Basking
Sharks are
protected
underand
the Wildlife and
Countryside Act
(1981), the
Rights ofand Rights of
Countryside
ActCountryside
(1981), the and
Countryside
Way Act (2000),
Ireland
Wildlife
OrderWildlife
(1985) Order (1985)
Waythe
ActNorthern
(2000), the
Northern
Ireland
and the Nature
Conservation
(Scotland) Act
(2004). These
and
the Nature Conservation
(Scotland)
Act (2004). These
Acts make it illegal
to intentionally
kill, injure or kill,
recklessly
Acts make
it illegal to intentionally
injure or recklessly
disturb or harass
Basking
Sharks
in British
waters.
Any waters. Any
disturb
or harass
Basking
Sharks
in British
person committing
an offence
could
face
upcould
to 6 face up to 6
personsuch
committing
such
an off
ence
months in prison
andin
a prison
large fiand
ne. a large fine.
months
60m
1m
4m
Maintain aMaintain
distance a distance
4 metres away
fromaway from
4 metres
each sharkeach shark
Internationally,
Basking Sharks
are listed
under
Internationally,
Basking
Sharks
are CITES
listed under CITES
Appendix II, CMS
Appendix
I and
II and UNCLOS
Annex
I.
Appendix
II, CMS
Appendix
I and II and
UNCLOS
Annex I.
3m
4m
5m
5m
6m
6m
7m
7m
Restrict theRestrict
numberthe number
of people inofthe
waterin the water
people
at any oneat
time
any one time
80m
90m
100m
When closer
thancloser than
When
100 m switch
100the
m switch the
engine to neutral
engine to neutral
Restrict your
speedyour speed
Restrict
to below 6 knots
to below 6 knots
www.baskingsharks.org
www.baskingsharks.org
In partnership:In partnership:
MCS
Illustrations by Marc Dando www.wildlifeillustrator.com
v
www.baskingsharks.org
www.baskingsharks.org
In partnership:In partnership:
Marine
Conservation
Society
MCS
Marine
Conservation
Society
MCS
Marine
Conservation
Society
MCS
Marine
Conservation
Society
Illustrations by Marc Dando Illustrations by Marc Dando
vi
Photo-IDentification
Photo quality and submission
How to take a good photo-ID shot
When observing Basking Sharks and taking part in photo-id, please
ensure that you follow the Code of Conduct and all legal guidelines.
If you are watching sharks from a boat, put the engine in neutral and
let them swim past you rather than approaching them too closely remember that intentional harassment or disturbance is illegal.
Set your camera to the highest resolution possible in the
prevailing conditions.
Focus directly on the Basking Shark.
Take the photograph at a 90° angle to the fin.
Ideally...
Position yourself so the sun isn’t directly behind the animal,
making the image too dark. Ideally the sun should be behind
you to ensure that the fin features can be seen clearly (however
this may cause problems when it is bright or the sun is low).
Photograph both the left hand side and right hand side of the
shark’s fin, preferably take multiple shots.
Basking Shark displaying the nose, dorsal fin and caudal fin.
Photo-identification is a powerful non-invasive field technique for
studying live sharks in their natural environment. It aids researchers
in understanding life histories and shark movements, which is
especially important for a vulnerable and highly migratory species
like the Basking Shark, as amongst other things, it can provide us
with an estimate of population size.
There is still a great deal to learn about the life of the Basking Shark,
partly because of the difficulty in conducting field research with an
animal that spends most of its life out of sight, beneath the water.
During spring and summer they feed on plankton at the sea surface,
and at this time you may be lucky enough to see their caudal (tail)
fin, dorsal fin and nose above the water surface. These encounters
give researchers and members of the public the opportunity to take
photographs of the sharks, many of which display significant and
recognisable identification markings on their fins. These are either
natural markings (pigmentation) or acquired markings (scars,
injuries), which are unique to individual animals. These markings
are usually seen on the dorsal fin of the animal, but other areas such
as the caudal fin may also show variable markings.
A number of research groups use photo-identification and are
collaborating to try and map individual migration routes and
attempt to estimate population size. A ‘community’ database
has been constructed to efficiently store photo-ID images from
associated projects such as the Shark Trust, Marine Conservation
International, Irish Basking Shark Study Group and Manx Basking
Shark Watch: A Manx Wildlife Trust Project. With good quality
photographs, some individual sharks will be recognised on re-sighting
and matched on this database.
Take additional photographs of the caudal fin and nose.
Use a faster shutter speed rather than a wide aperture.
Basking Shark Hotspots
Best chances
to see Basking
Sharks along the
west coast of the
UK is between
April and October.
In choppy conditions and if the sky is overcast, you may have to
increase the ISO settings to avoid blurring.
If you are able to take digital footage, you may be able to extract
stills to use for photo-id.
How to record
1
4
Visit www.baskingsharks.org
Click on the ‘Record Sightings’ tab at the top of the page.
Complete the form and tell us about your sightings in as much
detail as possible!
2
3
Submitting your images
It is easy for everyone to get involved and make a significant
contribution to the greater understanding and conservation of Basking
Sharks. By taking photographs of the fins (or any other characteristic
features of Basking Sharks) and submitting them to the project you
are taking an active role in an ongoing shark conservation effort.
5
1 Hebrides (Skye)
2 Hebrides (Mull)
3 Isle of Man
4 Malin Head
All photos on these pages ©Colin Speedie/Swiss Shark Foundation.
vii
5 Southwest England (Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly)
viii
British Sharks
British sharks
There are over 30 species of shark found in British
waters. Along with the filter-feeding Basking Shark, UK
BAP species include Tope, Porbeagle, Shortfin Mako, Blue
Shark, Spiny Dogfish and Angelshark. These animals are
identified as priority species for conservation action by
the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). Around
half of British shark species are resident off the British
coast all year-round, such as the Smallspotted Catshark,
Nursehound and Porbeagle.
Smallspotted Catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula
Nursehound
Scyliorhinus stellaris
BAP
*Near threatened
Blue Sharks and Shortfin Makos are seasonal visitors,
appearing in British waters in summer during their
trans-Atlantic migrations. A few species such as the
Smooth Hammerhead and Frilled Shark may be vagrants
which occur only occasionally off our coastlines.
Illegal for anglers to retain this species
in English and Welsh waters.
BAP
Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
BAP
*Least concern
Although sharks inhabit our waters, you are unlikely to
encounter them on a trip to the seaside - many shark
species are becoming rare, so any encounter with them
should be seen as a privilege.
*Vulnerable
Tope
Galeorhinus galeus
Porbeagle Shark
Lamna nasus
*Vulnerable
Frilled Shark
Chlamydoselachus anguineus
Common Smoothhound
Mustelus mustelus
*Critically endangered
BAP
*Data deficient
*Near threatened
Blackmouth Catshark
Galeus melastomus
Starry Smoothhound
Mustelus asterias
Shortfin Mako Shark
Isurus oxyrinchus
*Least concern
BAP
Spiny Dogfish
Squalus acanthias
BAP
BAP
*Critically endangered
Wildlife and
Countryside Act
species
Illegal to kill, injure or disturb in UK waters.
*Critically endangered
Biodiversity Action Plan Status
BAP species are animals identified as priority species for conservation
action by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (nature conservation
advisors to the Government) – www.ukbap.org.uk.
Thresher Shark
Alopias vulpinus
*Not evaluated
BAP
Angelshark
Squatina squatina
*Vulnerable
*Near threatened
Smooth Hammerhead
Sphyrna zygaena
*Vulnerable
Basking Shark adoptions
Blue Shark
Prionace glauca
*Near threatened
BAP
* Conservation Status
The assessments here are specific to the Northeast Atlantic region
wherever possible and taken from the IUCN Red List - www.redlist.org
ix
You can make a difference to shark research by adopting a Basking
Shark through our website at
www.sharktrust.org/adopt
x
Further information
If you would like any more information on the sharks, skates
and rays found around the UK, the Shark Trust has produced
identification guides and detailed factsheets for each British
species. These can be downloaded, along with resources for
some important and interesting Northeast Atlantic species,
from the identification section of the Shark Trust website:
www.sharktrust.org/ID.
The Shark Trust
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust is the UK
registered charity which works to advance the
worldwide conservation of sharks through science,
education, influence and action.
The Trust is led by a board of Trustees who oversee
a dedicated team, who are further supported by a
voluntary Scientific Committee and a growing number
of supporters and volunteers.
The Trust is: an effective and well respected
advocate for sound shark management and
protection; a founder member of the Shark Alliance;
the Secretariat of the European Elasmobranch
Association; and a membership organisation which
provides a link between the public and the science
community. The Trust works through cross-sectoral
collaboration including, where possible, with
governments and industry to attain sustainable goals.
Basking Shark Photo-ID Community Partners:
Irish Basking Shark
Study Group
July 2011
4 Creykes Court, The Millfields
Plymouth PL1 3JB
Tel: 01752 672020
Website: www.sharktrust.org