Basking Shark washed ashore on long island

An gigantic basking shark washed up on the shores of Long Island, New York today, causing quite a uproar at Gilgo State Park, which is just a few miles from the very popular Jones Beach. The shark measured 20 feet and weighed a ton, but despite its imposing appearance they are considered pretty harmless because they have tiny teeth and generally eat plankton.The shark was already dead by the time the state parks department was notified,After the investigation, the shark’s body will then be buried. Experts believe that the shark likely had some kind of illness.

The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest living shark, after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan species — it is found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder.This shark is called the basking shark because it is most often observed when feeding at the surface and appears to be basking.