Breathtaking footage shows two large sharks swimming in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Mayo earlier this month.
The two large basking sharks were filmed just a few hundred meters from Keem Bay on Achill Island as walkers are seen walking along the beach in the distance.
The footage was taken by landscape Dublin based photographer Terry McDonagh on the 12th of May as part of a project on seascapes.
McDonagh, who previously studied marine biology, said he's "always working on new landscape shots" and captured the majestic sharks on his drone.
The video has been viewed thousands of times on McDonagh's Instagram page.
Basking sharks are the second largest living species of shark and are regularly spotted off the Irish coast.
The harmless sharks, mainly feeding on plankton, grow to around 26 feet and are an endangered species.
A campaign is currently under way to secure legal protection for basking sharks to secure long term viability in Irish waters.
The Social Democrats have introduced a bill to amend the Wildlife act making it an offence to injure, disturb or harass basking sharks.
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said: “Basking sharks are the world’s second largest fish and they are regular visitors to our shores.
"Around this time every year, we can catch glimpses of these majestic creatures as they slowly meander up our western coast.
“In fact, recent studies have indicated that Ireland could be home to between 10-20 percent of the world’s basking shark population at any one time.
"Of the eight known coastal surface hotspots for basking sharks in the Northeast Atlantic, five are located on the Irish west coast – in Cork, Kerry, Clare, Mayo and Donegal.
“Irish people may love basking sharks, and delight when they see their tall fins breaking the surface of the water, but unfortunately Irish governments have never protected them.
"This is especially difficult to understand given basking sharks are now an endangered species."
Simon Berrow of the Irish Basking Shark Group said protection in Irish waters is long overdue, RTE News reports.
He said: "The bill that’s been put forward to the Dáil is to list basking sharks under section 23 of the Wildlife Act.
"That would give them the same protection as whales and dolphins and seals for example.
"I think it’s appropriate that a species which is vulnerable to the same kind of threats is given the same kind of protection."
