Giant but Harmless Shark Sighted Off Florida Coast

By Wesley Ernst, Christian Post Correspondent Friday, March 25, 2011

A Florida man had an once-in-a-lifetime experience swimming next to a rarely seen giant shark, which happens to be harmless.

Josh Reeves saw a basking shark – the second largest species of fish – off the coast of Panama City, Fla., according to a video posted on CNN Thursday. It is rare for this type of shark to swim in warmer, shallower waters near the coast. Generally, basking sharks swim in colder waters throughout the world's oceans.

Upon sighting the shark, Reeves took to his 14-foot kayak and paddled next to the large shark that was about double the length of the kayak. Basking sharks can grow upwards to 20 to 30 feet long, making them the second largest shark species in the world. They are relatively harmless to human, subsisting on a main diet of plankton and krill, which are small shrimp-like marine animals.

He then did what few people would dare to do – jump into the water to swim closer to the gentle giant.

Later, in an interview with CNN, Reeves recounted that "it's almost like giving an appreciation for one of God's creatures, being that close to something that powerful."