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.

The sighting of a basking shark in Cornwall this week has been dubbed "exciting" by a wildlife trust. It comes after a video emerged on social media of the animal in St Ives harbour. Abby Crosby ...

Note: The basking shark and great white shark shown here are represented at a scale of 25.5 feet and 13.5 feet, respectively; Infographic: Maura Losch/Axios Not every fin moving slowly in dark ...

Marine researchers are investigating the recent death of a basking shark that washed up on Mayo Beach in Wellfleet, in the same general area where another basking shark washed up eight years ago.

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.