2021 had not been prolific but 2022 had been much worse, with only 37 basking shark sightings off our coasts. So in 2023, the members of the Association for the study and conservation of selachians (Apecs) hope to be able to observe the giant of the seas more often. Based in Brest, the association is trying to study the second largest fish in the world. Each spring, the basking shark is regularly observed off the coast of Brittany, where it likes to move its silhouette which can measure up to twelve meters.
This week, a first report was recorded not far from Penmarc’h, in southern Finistère. The association appeals to boaters and tourists, encouraging them to report any presence of sharks near the coast by calling 06 77 59 69 83. by satellite which will help to better understand the movements of these giants”, justifies the Apecs.
If the association is so interested in the basking shark, it is because the animal has not revealed all its secrets. Harmless to humans, the fish has been the subject of diligent scientific monitoring for several years thanks to the installation of GPS beacons. The last, deployed in April 2020, tracked a specimen to Scotland for 130 days.
In 2018, another shark could be tracked for 834 days, allowing it to be tracked to Cape Verde each time it surfaced. “It’s a species that is not easy to observe because basking sharks rarely come to the surface and prefer to stay deep,” explained Alexandra Rohr, project manager at Apecs.
Fished for too long, the basking shark is today classified as an endangered species.