Shark scientist Gemma Scotts and fisheries officer Tom Morgan could hardly have picked a better year to set up the Manx Shark Foundation.

The duo are looking to boost shark and ray conservation around the island through research into their behaviour, habitats, feeding and mating.

Working closely with Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch and UK marine conservation charity Mareco, Gemma and Tom are collecting data on the island’s sharks and rays.

This year has proved a bumper one for basking sharks, which are regular summer visitors but whose numbers have generally declined in recent years.

However, sightings have shot up this year and the Manx Shark Foundation has been exploring why.

‘It’s been a very exciting year for basking shark sightings and we have been thrilled to see footage of juvenile basking sharks again in Manx waters,’ Gemma said.

‘The big question is what has made Manx waters particularly attractive, or the sharks particularly visible, this year.

‘Basking sharks aren’t simply swimming around with their mouths open hoping to encounter food. They are selective feeders, actively seeking out the richest concentrations of zooplankton and responding to changes in prey density.

A basking shark cruising off the Isle of Man coast
A basking shark cruising off the Isle of Man coast (Credit: Tom Morgan - Manx Shark Foundation) (Tom Morgan - Manx Shark Foundation)

‘The Irish Sea’s tides and oceanographic fronts can concentrate plankton into exactly the kind of productive feeding areas basking sharks favour.

‘This year’s unusually warm sea temperatures may also have influenced the timing, distribution or composition of those plankton communities, although we can’t say for certain what has driven this year’s increase in sightings.’

The Manx Shark Foundation’s work involves underwater camera surveys, drone monitoring, analysing egg cases and research with local anglers.

It is now the Isle of Man’s only organisation dedicated to shark conservation following the closure of Manx Basking Shark Watch.

The foundation is also analysing basking shark sighting records with Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch to identify longer-term patterns.

Gemma has been delighted with the number of sightings and close encounters this season but admits there is still much more to learn about the world’s second-largest fish.

‘What we can say is that conditions around the island appear to have been particularly favourable for basking sharks this season,’ she explained. ‘Or the conditions may have brought the sharks’ feeding activity close enough to the surface and coast for us to see them more often.

A basking shark spotted off the island coast
A basking shark spotted off the island coast (Tom Morgan - Manx Shark Foundation)

‘Even so, there is still so much we don’t understand about how basking sharks use Manx waters, particularly at different life stages, and the juvenile sightings make that especially exciting. These are exactly the kinds of questions we hope our research will help us answer in the future.

‘It’s been amazing to see so many people sharing their encounters online - there’s clearly a huge amount of excitement around the Island when these incredible fish appear!’

The foundation does not just focus on basking sharks. Among the other species the team hopes to learn more about is the tope shark, which is listed as critically endangered despite being a popular catch among anglers.