Life on the water

Rare Encounters

The rare ones: ocean sunfish, buzzards and other unusual visitors seen from Selkie around Rathlin Island and the Causeway Coast.

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A big thank you to James Allen (our crew member and guide during the 2026 season) for providing us with most of these beautiful moments and pictures. Please feel free to check him out on Instagram: @orange_in_the_blue

A basking shark's tail breaking the surface in a splash.
A basking shark swimming at the surface, gill slits and fin visible.
The ocean sunfish rolling just below the surface.
An ocean sunfish seen clearly from above, just under the surface.
An ocean sunfish basking at the surface, its round pale body just visible.
The ocean sunfish surfacing once more.

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