In the vast depths of the oceans, many creatures are lurking beneath the deep. Just off of the coast of Ireland, one such creature dwells. The basking shark, a true wonder of the deep, showcases its huge jaws and interesting ways to eliminate parasites. A video captured by a lucky bystander showcases their amazing ability to breach the surface and cast a spell over those watching.
Habitat
Basking sharks are found all over the world in arctic and temperature waters, there is no one place that this species prefers.
Diet
The basking shark is known for its impeccable jaws that filter out all zooplankton from the surrounding waters.
Their jaws have 5-gill slits that catch the zooplankton as the water passes over the surface.
They can filter over 130,000 gallons of water per hour!
Now, you are probably curious about what zooplankton consists of.
Well, the answer is simple.
Simply put, zooplankton is made up of small microscopic animals such as crustaceans, open-water larvae, and aquatic mites.
Behaviors
These interesting sharks only breed once a year during the warmer summer months (May-July).
Basking sharks are very social animals. They can be spotted in groups ranging from 3 to 500 individuals.
They are often the victims of parasites such as remoras and sea lampreys.
Researchers speculate that these sharks breach to avoid getting infected by these parasites, but it is yet to be confirmed.
Basking Shark Breaching
In a video, captured off the Irish coast, portrays a group of basking sharks breaching.
As the video progresses one can see the basking sharks breaching the ocean surface.
What an astonishing sight!
Basking Sharks Breaching: Conclusion
Although basking sharks are not the prettiest or the fiercest of shark species, they still have a significant role in the overall ocean health and ecosystem.
The video shows us how other creatures of the deep can be graceful, too.
I hope you enjoyed reading about basking sharks and learned something new today!
To read more about sharks, check out the articles below:
- Great White Shark Diet
- Whale Shark Pup Asks Humans For Help
- Florida City Nominated to Shark-Bite Capital of the World.
Trending Animal News of The Week:
adventuring, photography and videography. I am currently working towards a BSc in Biodiversity and Ecology at Stellenbosch University to go on to specialise in Marine Sciences one day.
Please send any feedback to [email protected]
- Meet the Kereru: The Drunkest Bird In The World - December 5, 2023
- Bear Encourages Her Cub To Swim In A Swimming Pool - December 5, 2023
- Little Lamb Rocks The Cowboy Look - December 4, 2023