So, that is a Basking Shark found washed ashore in Babylon New York. CNN really doesn't have much of a story about it ... just the video coverage.
Because I'm fascinated by Sharks ... and have spent some time watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel ... I think the right thing to do is explain what a Basking Shark is!!
Here are some fun tidbits on the Basking Shark:
- in 1851, one got caught in a Herring Net in the Bay of Fundy (between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) .. it measured 40 feet and weighed and estimated 19 tons!! Its the largest ever recorded ... just to put it in perspective ... the one in the video is only 15 feet long!!
- Basking Sharks are pretty harmless ... all they do is open their mouth and swim! They collect plankton by doing this ...
Creepy hey!?- That mouth usually opens to about 3 and a half feet wide. Which means our CKSW Sales Manager could stand right up in there!
- They live as deep as 3,300 feet ... roughly 1 km.
- They usually travel in groups of 3 or 4, but have been known to be in groups as large as 100!!
- Finally, the Basking Shark, once considered a nuisance along the Canadian Pacific Coast, were the target of a government eradication program from 1945 to 1970. As of 2008[update], efforts are underway to determine if any sharks still live in the area and monitor their potential recovery.
That's what I know about Basking Sharks ... I understand if we can't be friends anymore due to the nerdiness of this blog post.
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