Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Ocean beaches, Wiborg's Beach to Amagansett
The second-largest fish in the world, swimming slowly at the surface with its mouth wide open to filter plankton, and it is harmless to people. The East Hampton Star reported basking sharks up to 20 feet long cruising in single file between Wiborg's Beach and Amagansett in late June, and NOAA researchers have recorded groups of dozens to hundreds from Nova Scotia to Long Island.
Best months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Best time of day
- Calm, sunny days
- How to see
- No trip targets them. Scan calm ocean water from the beach for a large dorsal fin with the tail tip showing behind it, moving slowly in a straight line.
- Operator
- Self-guided
- Cost
- Free
- Age
- All ages
- Accessibility
- Any ocean beach
- Responsible viewing
- Retention is prohibited in U.S. Atlantic waters. Boats keep slow and well clear: basking sharks feed at the surface and are struck by vessels.
- Weather / sea state
- Flat calm makes fins visible.