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.

Basking sharks are listed as a protected species by authorities. It meant the startled fisherman had to alert the area's marine life foundation - CRAM - once he realised what he had caught.

A fisherman has filmed a basking shark off the Croatian coast near Rijeka. The footage shows the animal, which is up to ...

A whale-watching tour off Southern California got a close-up look at a passing basking shark, which are rarely seen in warmer waters, a video shows. A Davey’s Locker Whale Watching boat spotted ...