The basking shark is the UK's largest fish, reaching 11m in length, yet very little is known about it. Due to its oil rich liver and large fins, the basking shark has been the target of many historical fisheries which caused its decline through the 1900s. 

View basking shark footage HERE

As a result of an MCS campaign, the species was finally protected in 1998 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, but we are still only piecing together information about its distribution and behaviour. 

The MCS Basking Shark Watch project, launched in 1987 gathers information from members of the public, fishermen and sea users, on their sightings of basking sharks. As a result, MCS now holds the UK's largest dataset on basking shark distribution and behaviour and is now contributing to wider studies to determine the factors that affect their abundance and seasonal appearance in UK waters. This project involves the wider public in collecting information that would otherwise be unavailable and which directly contributes to a better understanding and protection of one of our most mysterious marine species.