SEMPORNA: An unusual encounter with a rare shortfin mako shark near Pulau Mabul provided an interesting end-of-year experience for tourist Sylvian Kok and her friends.

       The shark was sighted swimming beside the tourist boat she and her friends were on near the Mabul Water Bungalows in the state's popular diving paradise of Semporna.

       As the species usually prefer the open sea, the recording of it feeding on the carcass of a billfish in the shallows and swimming alongside the boat, made the sighting a memorable experience for the group.

       Kok’s video of the encounter was uploaded onto social media platforms and has since gone viral with many sharing her excitement.

       Scuba Junkie SEAS Conservation director Cat McCann said the shark was identified as a shortfin mako (lsurus oxyrinchus), on the basis of the size of the pectoral fins on the side of the body and the shape of the snout.

       McCann, in the statement released by Sabah Shark and Ray Initiative (SSRI), noted that it was amazing for the close-up encounter as the species was known to jump up to five metres and can achieve speeds of more than 70km per hour over short periods.

       The sighting was yet another sign of the incredible marine biodiversity found in Sabah, particularly in the Semporna region.

       Kok and her friends were not alone in their excitement at the shark sighting, as many tourists go to the region to be able to dive with sharks.

       A study by Dr Johanna Zimmerhackel of the Australian Institute of Marine Science determined that shark-diving provided direct revenues in excess of US$16.6mil to the Semporna region in 2018.