This is the breathtaking moment a 25ft long basking shark was spotted off Britain’s south coast.
The beast was caught on film two-and-a-half miles off the coast of Eastbourne by fisherman Alex Tite, 54, and his son Curtis Templeton-Tite, 23.
They were stunned when the basking shark – the second largest fish on the planet – swam underneath their small fishing boat.
Curtis said: “It was amazing because I’ve never seen anything that big up close before.
“I’ve been fishing for years with my dad and it’s always relaxing but now I’ve encountered a fish I might not see again in my life.
“It was incredible – our eyes locked onto it straight away and I instinctively started filming.
“You could see the whole dorsal fin and its distinctive white spots as it went underneath our boat.”
The father and son, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, have been fishing off the coast of their hometown for 15 years.
Curtis, a father-of-one, is a member of the Eastbourne Angling Association.
He added: “They didn’t believe me at first until they realised I was serious and had footage.
“One of the most experienced fisherman I know said he’d seen one – but not for more than 30 years when he was just a little boy.
“I don’t think it was as big either.”
Footage shows the large plankton-eating shark gliding through the clear blue water beside the boat.
It is the second largest of the species after the whale shark which can be up to 40ft in length.
