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The ocean and I have a love-hate relationship. I love learning about all of the cool things living in it, but the thought of being in the ocean myself makes me itchy. No way! I will gladly stay here, on land, and spread the enjoyment of the ocean to others.
You’re welcome: look at this awesome Basking Shark! They caught footage of him off the coast of San Diego, California, and it was such a treat. This shark is a rare one to spot, and I think this is the closest we’re going to get to a megalodon:
Scripps Oceanography is so lucky to have spotted this. I’ve only seen a Basking Shark a handful of times in pictures, so seeing one in real life is the dream! They weren’t even really looking for him: they stumbled upon him on a whale-watching trip.
They were on an expedition, and according to Scripps PhD candidate Jack Elstner, who was on the trip, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience because they were able to get super close! Not only did they see him, they actually got to see the Basking Shark… Well, basking!
Related: Kind Woman Risks It All To Help Beached Shark and It’s So Beautiful
Basking Sharks Are Filter Feeders
Basking sharks are absolutely massive: they’re the second-largest shark species on the planet! You might think that they get to that size by eating huge fish, or entire schools of tiny ones… But that’s not the case. Basking Sharks are filter feeders!
Basking shark with their mouth open.Image via Shutterstock / Simon Burt
Some studies claim that Basking Sharks have at least 1,000 tiny teeth, but they’re not used for eating! As filter feeders, Basking Sharks have specialized rakers to consume:
Shrimps/small crustaceans.
They eat massive amounts of them at a time. Basking sharks filter about 2,000 tons of water through their gill rakers per hour, netting them hundreds of pounds of food per day.
Why Are They Called ‘Basking Sharks?’
Basking sharks are called that because of the way they eat. Typically, you’ll find them “basking” near the surface of the water. That’s where some of the most nutritious zooplankton and other tiny species are!
Occasionally, you’ll catch them hanging out of the water a little bit. They can be found all over, though there’s something special about those California sharks!
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Apr 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.