Basking shark swims alongside paddleboarders in Devon harbour

A huge basking shark has been caught on video in a harbour in Torquay.

It was spotted approaching a group of paddleboarders in the outer harbour next to Haldon Pier.

It seemed to be heading towards one young man on a paddleboard but then changed direction at the last minute.

Basking sharks are not known to be dangerous and are generally considered to be gentle giants.

Paddleboard instructor Owin Wong was out with the group when they thought they saw two dolphins circling - and then heard people shouting 'Shark! Shark!' from the harbour wall.

Owin said: "It was very, very big. It was scary at first but I have had previous knowledge of basking shark and I know that they are not dangerous."

Basking sharks are the second-largest fish in the world behind the whale shark and eat tiny, planktonic prey. They can grow up to 40ft long.

They spend most of their time near the surface, swimming with their huge mouths wide open, filtering out their preferred prey.

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