Basking Shark

The basking shark is the second largest living fish, coming in behind the whale shark at a maximum length of about 30 feet (9 meters). Swimming along with its dorsal fin sticking up above the surface of the water, it can easily spook humans. But this gentle giant doesn’t even eat meat, instead dining on the plankton that get stuck in its five huge gill slits as it moves through the water with its mouth gaping open. A large basking shark can filter 130,000 gallons of water through its mouth per hour!