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Scientists don’t know very much about the basking shark. They know it’s the biggest fish in British waters. They know it’s not really basking, or sunbathing, when it’s on the surface of the ocean. Instead, it’s swimming along very slowly, eating plankton. But where do these fish go in the winter? Where do they breed? And why do they throw themselves clear out of the water? Scientists don’t have a clue. Basking sharks were once hunted for the oil in their livers. The oil was used in oil lamps. Today the sharks are being tracked and conserved. So scientists will probably learn more about these mysterious fish in the future.

Read more about efforts to understand the basking shark.

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