Remarkable images show a paddelboarder’s close encounter with a number of basking sharks off the coast of Cornwall.

The huge marine creatures swam around the unidentified paddleboarder and were captured by a local photography student.

Michael Amos, 20, from Penryn, Cornwall, snapped the second largest living sharks as they swam below the cliffs at Porthcurno, Cornwall.

It is unclear how many sharks were there – but Michael, who studies marine and natural history photography, said it was ‘incredible’ to see so many.

The animals can congregate in large numbers and feed on plankton and small fish, but do not attack humans.

Michael said seeing basking sharks – which can reach well over 25ft in length – had been at the top of his bucket list for some time, and he was delighted to finally see the creatures in the flesh.

He added: ‘I have seen dolphins and seals down here, but I never thought I would get to see a basking shark. So seeing so many in one place at the same time was incredible.

‘When looking back at my photos, I feel ecstatic that I had been able to photograph such an amazing sighting.

‘Photographing marine life can be tricky if you are not underwater and have to rely on animals appearing at the surface, so I felt truly privileged to come away with these photos.’

It is unclear what the paddleboarder made of his experience, but the photos appear to show him watching the animals as they surface as continuing to paddle.

Michael explained: ‘I spent over an hour photographing them in perfect conditions.

‘The clear water at Porthcurno allowed me to get great views of them swimming at the surface.

‘In one of my photos, you can see one of the sharks swimming right next to a paddleboarder, which gives a sense of scale to show how big these sharks can be.’

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