Basking shark breach of the coast of Malin Head, Ireland. Credit: Bren Whelan
Basking sharks may not be the lazy, lumbering ocean dwellers that they appear to be.
A new study by researchers at Trinity College in Dublin and published in this month’s journal of Biology Letters, found that basking sharks have the same aerial capability as great white sharks when it comes to breaching out of the water.
Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world, reaching lengths of over 30 feet. The species are filter feeders which consumes plankton and other small marine invertebrates.
“The impressive turn of speed that we found basking sharks exhibit shows how much we are yet to learn about marine animals – even the largest, most conspicuous species have surprises in store, if we’re willing to look,” study co-author Nick Payne said.
Researchers used video analysis of breeching basking sharks off the coast of Malin Head, Ireland and estimated their vertical swimming speeds at the moment at which they left the water. They also attached a data recording device to one large basking shark to measure its speed and movement.
In just over nine seconds, and with 10 beats of its tail, the basking shark accelerated from a depth of 28 m to the surface and broke through the water at nearly 90 degrees. The shark cleared the water for one second, and its leap peaked at a height of 1.2 m above the surface. That degree of aerial capability has only been observed in a few species of sharks, including great whites.
“This finding does not mean that basking sharks are secretly fierce predators tearing round at high speed; they are still gentle giants munching away happily on zooplankton,” Dr Jonathan Houghton, a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology at Queen’s University Belfast, said. “It simply shows there is far more to these sharks than the huge swimming sieves we are so familiar with. It’s a bit like discovering cows are as fast as wolves (when you’re not looking).”