Basking Shark

The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world after the whale shark, found in temperate ocean waters worldwide, easily identified by its enormous size, pointed snout and the huge gape of its mouth, which can open more than a metre wide while feeding. Unlike most large sharks, it is a passive filter feeder, swimming slowly near the surface with its mouth open to strain plankton and small fish from the water using specialized gill rakers, rather than actively hunting prey. Basking sharks are often seen alone or in small groups basking near the surface, the behavior that gives the species its name, and they undertake long seasonal migrations following concentrations of plankton, sometimes diving to considerable depths in winter. Despite its intimidating size, which can exceed ten metres in length, the species poses no threat to humans. Historically hunted for its liver oil and fins, the basking shark suffered steep population declines in the twentieth century and is now classified as endangered.