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Giant Shark Washes Up On Cape Cod
A basking shark — which grows up to 30 feet and 5 tons — recently washed up on Cape Cod.
WELLFLEET, MA — A mammoth basking shark washed up on dead on Cape Cod this week. The adult shark was spotted Sunday in Wellfleet Harbor.
Adult basking sharks can grow up to 30 feet and 5 tons. The only bigger shark is the whale shark, measuring about 35 feet and 10 tons. By comparison, great white sharks are only about 18 feet and 2 tons.
Basking sharks have giant mouths measuring about 3 feet that filter plankton, their primary food source. The sharks are not dangerous to humans.
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The group MA Sharks captured photos of the basking shark carcass in Wellfleet:
Just a typical chilly, winter day on Cape Cod...except for the dead basking shark. Yes I said basking shark, in February! pic.twitter.com/XlLM1Rvt8L
— MA Sharks (@MA_Sharks) February 20, 2017
Photo: An adult basking shark. (Credit: noaa.gov)
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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