Basking sharks might be enormous, but they′re gentle giants! Although they can grow to be nearly 12.2 meters (40 feet), they are harmless to humans and feed only on tiny plankton.
Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world following the better-known whale shark. They spend most of their time near the surface, slowly swimming with their extraordinarily large mouths open to filter feed on plankton, but they have also been observed making deeper dives to feed. These sharks get their name from their laid-back behavior, often seen ″basking″ at the surface on sunny days.
Basking sharks can be found primarily throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In cooler waters, they spend most of their time at the surface, but they dive deeper in warmer, tropical waters. Basking sharks undertake huge migrations, covering distances of thousands of miles. They have been sighted traveling solo, in small groups, and sometimes rarely even in huge schools!