A FISHERMAN from Abergele was stunned to find a shark swimming in Anglesey while he was angling last weekend.

Jimmy Price shared the below footage from Holyhead Breakwater, and admitted that it left him “shocked”.

A regular angling competitor, Jimmy drove to Holyhead for a fishing match last Sunday (June 16).

It was early on Sunday morning when something unusual caught his eye.

Frankie Hobro, director of Anglesey Sea Zoo, confirmed it as a Rhinocodon typhus, a juvenile basking shark.

She said: “They do come close to shore in the warmer months, but this is the first recorded sighting so far this year.

“Second only to the whale shark in size (and bigger than a great white), the basking shark can reach lengths of 12m (40 feet).

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“Basking sharks are common here between Anglesey and the Isle of Man from May to September every year - so this is one of the hotspots for them in the UK, but we generally just see juveniles this close to shore.

“Further offshore, it is common to see full-sized adults in large numbers.

“Basking sharks are endangered and protected - and as they are plankton feeders, they don’t even have teeth, so should definitely not be feared!”

There are specific laws protecting basking sharks and legal guidelines to be followed by anyone who interacts with them, Frankie added.

Anglesey Sea Zoo also has a life-size adult basking shark model that visitors can get right up close to, suspended from the roof of its shark and ray pool. 

It is 8.5 metres long, the size of an average adult, and Frankie adding that, as far as she is aware, it is the only full-size model of a basking shark anywhere.