What is believed to be a basking shark washed up at Menemsha Beach. Photo: Menemsha/Instagram
A dead 12-15 foot shark washed up on a Massachusetts beach on Sunday afternoon.
According to the MV Gazette, the dead animal had fishing line wrapped around its nose when it washed ashore at Menemsha beach. The shark, believed to be a basking shark, is a large species that feeds on plankton. Although 12-15 feet may seem big, adult basking sharks grow to 20-26 feet. According to The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats, the largest ever caught and accurately measured was 40 feet, and was trapped in a herring net in the Bay of Fundy, Canada in 1851.
Basking sharks migrate to the New England coastline in the spring time, feeding on the abundance of plankton. They normally die at sea, making this an exceptional opportunity for scientists to learn more about the docile shark.
