A 12-foot basking shark which had become entangled in fishing ropes off the coast of Achill owes its life to the quick thinking of some passing divers.
Mr Francis Stockwell was in a group of divers who came across the shark, which is rare in Irish waters, during a trip off the west coast last Saturday.
The shark had become entangled in the ropes leading from a set of lobsters pots, and seemed to be dead. "The ropes were in his mouth, and were wrapped around his dorsal fin. He couldn't go forwards, back, up or down," said Mr Stockwell.
"I was about to leave, and gave him one last rub on the back, when I thought he moved. So I went to look at his mouth, and it definitely moved."
Mr Stockwell endured a momentary pang of fear, before reminding himself that the basking shark feeds on plankton rather than stray divers.
He got a knife from colleagues in the dive boat and set about cutting the shark free. "His fins and mouth had been cut by the rope and he had probably been struggling for hours, but he didn't seem badly injured. Once he was free, he flicked his tail and moved off slowly into deeper waters."
Basking sharks, which can grow to over 20 ft, are a rare enough sight off Irish waters. The shark was probably quite young, which should increase his chances of survival, according to Mr Stockwell.
"You feel good in yourself when something like this happens. I just hope that he comes back and says hello to me some day."
