One of those sharks unfortunately washed up dead on a Cape beach earlier this week, as researchers responded to Wellfleet Harbor and took samples from the massive 6,000-pound basking shark.

The basking shark’s scientific name, Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translates to “great-nosed sea monster” in Greek. In reality, these placid sharks, found the world over, are totally harmless.

A whale-watching tour off Southern California got a close-up look at a passing basking shark, which are rarely seen in warmer waters, a video shows. A Davey’s Locker Whale Watching boat spotted ...

In a world first, a basking shark is tagged with cameras. Speaking on Landward Dr Lucy Hawkes explained, “Basking sharks are big animals but they can also dive under the water and stay well out ...