A NEW “SharkCam” has been used in the UK for the first time as part of efforts to reveal the secret lives of basking sharks.

Scientists have began tagging the sharks around the Inner Hebrides so an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) can follow them below the surface of the water. The REMUS SharkCam technology collects high-quality data and wide angle high-definition video of the sharks’ behaviour.

Initial footage from the AUV deployed off the coast of Coll and Tiree last month shows the sharks moving through the water column, potentially searching for food, feeding near the surface and swimming close to the seabed.

Suzanne Henderson, marine policy officer at Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), said: “These giant fish are spectacular and watching them feed gracefully at the sea surface is such a special and memorable experience.