Shark sighting sparks urgent warning for swimmers to stay out of the water at popular beach on Folkestone coast | The Sun

SWIMMERS in Kent are being warned not to enter the sea after a suspected shark sighting.

The Sun this week revealed beachgoers spotted a fin in the waves on Tuesday evening, and experts believe it was a basking shark.

Red flags were still flying at the Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone last night – and swimmers are being warned to be wary.

A spokesperson for Folkestone Sea Rescue said: "As a precaution, we are advising that people do not swim at these locations for 24 hours.

"Basking sharks are very large fish which feed off plankton, and are not considered dangerous to people or animals.

"Basking sharks have occasionally been seen off the Kent coast over the past few years.

"While the risks are usually low, you should still keep your distance from any marine animals you may see while at the coast, including basking sharks."

What are basking sharks and how big are they?

Basking sharks are the second largest species of fish, after whale sharks.

Grey-brown adults grow to an average of 20-26ft and weigh five tons but they can be much bigger.

The largest accurately measured was caught in Canada in 1851 and weighed 16 tons.

It was 40.3ft (12.27m) long.

Specimens longer than 33ft are rarely seen these days because over-fishing has reduced their numbers.

Basking sharks have enormous mouths more than three feet wide, with jaws that stretch open as they feed in shallow waters close to shore.

Their babies are huge as well. They are born, measuring five or six feet long, after a gestation thought to last from one to three years.

They are a protected red list species, considered vulnerable worldwide and endangered in the North East Atlantic.

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