This animal, which can reach "close to ten metres in length", "is huge but not dangerous, feeding on krill, plankton and fish eggs", reveals the DGRM, further explaining that "by opening its enormous mouth in water it retains food, being able to filter more than two thousand tons of water per hour".

Sometimes, the basking shark is "sighted on the national Atlantic coast". According to the DGRM, "they are normally sighted where the water is richer in food and are not afraid to approach people or boats".