Basking shark is a large shark that filters the water for food. It is among the largest fishes in the world, second only to the whale shark. An adult basking shark can reach 40 feet (12 meters) long. However, most are less than 33 feet (10 meters) long. The basking shark has a pointed nose, large gill slits, and a huge mouth. It is gray on top, often with pale blotches. The underside is pale.
The basking shark lives in warm to cold waters along coastlines around the world. It ranges from waters near the surf line to the deep ocean. However, the shark appears to prefer the relatively shallow waters of the continental shelf, the part of the ocean floor that borders the continents. The basking shark is highly migratory—that is, it often moves to new locations. It lives closer to shore in spring and summer. Basking sharks are social animals that often swim in schools. These schools can include only a few individuals or hundreds of sharks.
The basking shark has a large mouth that contains gill rakers. The gill rakers act as filters that strain the water for tiny, drifting ocean life called plankton. To feed, the shark swims slowly with its mouth gaping open.
Little is known about the reproductive habits of the basking shark. Females give birth to live young that are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long.
People around the world once fished for the basking shark, primarily for shark liver oil. The shark is still caught in some areas, often for its fins. Also, some are caught and killed accidentally by fishing boats. The number of basking sharks is in decline. The shark is protected by law in some of the waters where it lives.
