Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)

Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus References

Date/Image Description Additional Information
26 Jul 2004
BaskingSharkImages/MonastaryBeachJul292004.jpg
Basking sharks were observed outside Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos CA, USA. The attached image was taken at 9:29 AM July 29 2004. More detailed observations by Steve Ligas.
02 Sep 2002 Kelly Newton took the attached picture on Monday (02 Sep 2002) out in Monterey Bay. Along with the Basking Shark there were 4-5 Blue whales and 2 Humpback whales. From the plane (650 ft.) we could see it with its mouth open cruising through all of the krill. It was an amazing site! Enjoy! Kelly No longer most recent basking shark sighting in Monterey Bay
Abstract AES 2002.

The first results of archival tagging of a basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, in the western North Atlantic by Greg Skomal aned Nick Caloyinais.

 
29 Jan 2000 Slideshow of 2.92 m TL male juvenile basking shark caught in Porto Moniz (North-West coast of Madeira), on 29 Jan 2000.
Approximately 90 kg (we didn't have a scale); gonads 0.386 kg (GSI ~ 0.43%); liver 4.570 kg (HSI ~5%)

Thanks to Charlott Stenberg. "I was there to see the goblin shark. You can see it in the background".

 
Movie Frame01.jpg Basking Shark Fishery in Monterey Bay
5.6 MB QuickTime 4 Web Movie (240x 180) tested on iMac DV and PC.

Same as (0.675 MB Real Player streaming movie (has pixelation but is small file).
Working on Codec for Window Media Player. In the meantime you need QuickTime 4 to play on PC (free download).
Alternatively use RealPlayer for PC. Thanks to Brennan McAdams for .rm file.
basking shark vertebra 2.jpg Basking shark vertebrae images by Richard Lord. Click on thumprint on left for "3d" view; lateral view; top or bottom view.  
  Translation by Markus Leppä of Sund, O. 1943. Et Brugdebarsel. Naturen 67: 285-286. Birth of a Basking Shark.
Six neonates(5 live, one dead; TL 1.5-2.0 m) were born north-northwest of Geitmaren by ~1525 kg female. One pup was recaptured.
I met Marcus at 1995 AES meeting in Edmonton, Canada.
Preliminary life history table. Actually, it's a two-stage matrix model using a variable stage duration following Caswell (2001),
 
  Coming soon, Julie Phillips' notes taken in preparation for Phillips, J. B. 1948. Basking shark fishery revived in California. CA F&G 34:11-23.  
Tim Thomas on basking shark fishery in Monterey Bay. The $5.00 Quarterly Bulletin of the Monterey History and Art Association Vol. 53, No. 1 has lots of photos and is therefore easier to read. Complete reference is Tomas T. (2004). Dancing on the belly of the shark and other adventures on Monterey Bay. Noticias del Puerto de Monterey. Quarterly Bulletin of the Monterey History and Art Association 53, 3-25. Download PDF (4.6 MB, thanks go to Greg Cailliet).  
Whale sharks off Central California, beginning to look credible based on info by Karin Forney NMFS ("sightings off Big Sur and Santa Cruz must have occurred during flights on September 6-8, 1989") and Bill Ripley CaF&G ret. ("touched one in Santa Barbara Channel in 1942/3").
Now available: Ebert, D.A., H.F. Mollet, A. Baldridge, T. Thomas, K. Forney, and W.E. Ripley. Occurrence of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus Smith 1828, in California waters. Northwestern Naturalist, 2004, 85(1), 20-22.

Karin Forney pers. comm. to Dave Ebert; Bill Ripley pers. comm. to Tim Thomas.

Created October 2000, revised August 2004. Back to home page.
Please send comments or corrections to mollet@pacbell.net