Hundreds of benign basking sharks are gathering along the Inishowen Peninsula, which is situated between Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle in County Donegal .

Basking sharks are no strangers to Irish waters and can be frequently found off the West coast of Ireland. Fishing experts note that Ireland is one of the most popular breathing grounds for the second largest shark in the ocean.

Many locals and passing tourists are gathering at Malin Head to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.

 Rodney Lockwood, owner of the nearby Sandrock Holiday Hostel at Port Ronan pier said, "There are loads of them out there. I'm seeing them almost daily and with a telescope you can get a close-up view."

Fishermen and spectators are amusingly witnessing the large docile and plankton eating sharks jump out of the water and landing on their backs.

Some members of the public assumed the sharks were dangerous.

A few panicking people alright, but as people become more familiar with the basking sharks they realize that they are completely harmless.

“They feed on plankton. They are totally docile and they are not a threat to fishing



Thanks to Cornelius Sweeney for the following email.

date Sun, May 9, 2010 at 6:30 PM
subject sharks in donegal

just spotted a massive shoal of basking sharks in port na blagh pier beside dunfanaghy co. donegal. could not believe their size. we watched them from the cliff edge im a local from the area and iv never spotted these massive sharks before