Basking Shark

Cetorhinus maximus

Occurring in

Arctic Ocean
Mediterranean
North and Baltic Sea
North Atlantic
Northern Pacific
South Atlantic
Southeast Pacific
Pacific west

0-1000m

DayActive

Endangered

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world. It feeds exclusively by filtering plankton. Its mouth can be opened over a meter wide.

Habitat

Open Water

Special Features

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world. It feeds exclusively by filtering plankton. Its mouth can be opened over a meter wide. Despite its enormous size, it is completely harmless.

basking-shark-divedict_tauchen_haie_sharks_diving_conservation-lexicon-09

Appearance

Very large, massive body with a huge mouth. Gray-brown coloration and small eyes.

Natural Enemies

Orcas (rare)

Dangerous/Toxic

Completely harmless and not toxic.

Pro Tips

Basking sharks often swim slowly near the surface when there is a lot of plankton. They filter thousands of liters of water per hour. In winter, they dive into deeper waters. Due to past hunting for liver oil, their populations have declined significantly.