While we often think of sharks existing in the more exotic waters of countries like the USA or Australia, there are actually more than 40 species that occur around the British coast.
As a seasonal UK visitor, the basking shark heads to our seas from around May to October each year, so in celebration of their return to UK waters, we’re taking a deeper dive into the world of the mighty basking shark.
A gentle giant of the ocean
The basking shark is the largest fish to be found in UK waters, and the second largest in the world overall, behind the whale shark. But despite its humungous size it is often referred to as a gentle giant because of its docile nature, slow swimming speeds, and because, well, unlike the awful mechanical great white in Jaws, it isn’t remotely interested in snacking on humans.
The earliest record of this enormous creature dates back to 1765, when a Norwegian bishop and botanist, Johan Ernst Gunnerus, first named it - Squalus maximus – meaning ‘biggest shark’. The name given reflected the then held belief that it was the ocean’s largest fish.
Its scientific name was later changed to Cetorhinus maximus – which roughly translates to sea monster or whale with a large snout. But while it may not be the largest, there is no denying its epic proportions.
The basking shark can weigh up to 6 tonnes, and its length is often compared to that of a double-decker bus. The largest individual ever recorded was discovered in Canada in 1851, and measured some 12m or 40ft in length.
Why so mysterious?
Basking sharks are found all across the globe, mostly in cold to temperate waters and migrate huge distances in pursuit of food. Yet despite their wide range, they are relatively allusive creatures because they often spend significant periods of time in the wide, open ocean at great depths. It’s because of this that many of their ways remain a mystery to us.
There is still so much we have to learn about them, but here’s a taste of what we do know about these fascinating creatures of the deep.