The basking shark gets its name from its slow movements, like basking in the sun. 5o years ago, the basking shark was prolific in the Barkley Sound to the point the fishermen considered them a nuisance and outfitted their boats with big knives in the bow to ram these giant fish for tangling up their nets. They feed near the surface and near land.
The basking shark is on the brink of extinction. They have been fiercely hunted over the years and are having a difficult time reestablishing their numbers. Basking sharks reach 40 feet and are the second largest fish in the ocean. Basking sharks feed mostly on plankton and small fish that swim close to the surface.
Last year a basking shark was spotted just outside Poett Nook. A truly majestic creature.