CNN —Rare footage captured by a camera strapped to the back of an endangered shark shows the jarring moment it was struck by a boat — prompting the animal to dash into deep waters and rest for hours. It’s not clear whether the massive 23-foot (7-meter) animal, known as a basking shark, ultimately survived the collision. The basking shark is a massive creature, growing up to 40 feet (12 meters) long, and is among the largest fish in the world — second only to the whale shark. But the video and study findings that came out of the incident are timely for the shark research community, noted Dr. Christopher Lowe, the director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. Protecting basking sharksMcInturf emphasized that Ireland — and the United Kingdom — have already taken significant steps to help protect endangered basking sharks.

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Persons: Alexandra McInturf, “, ” McInturf, Christopher Lowe, —, McInturf, they’re, “ I’m, ” Lowe, it’s heartening Organizations: CNN, Oregon State University, Marine Science, International Union for Conservation, California State University, Ireland Locations: Ireland, Long Beach, Southern California, United Kingdom