Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
Anyone ever seen one? I read they used to be common in barkely a while back (1940s).They said that most were exterminated because they got entangled with fishing nets.
Basking sharks
- Thread starter Charter Tofino
- Start date
tyeegalore
Active Member
Well Kelly, we saw 2 off of Ukie in the heavy fog. First one was about 6-7 ft and the second about 5 ft, they were laying right on the surface and did not move, we slowed down and had a good look, thought they were dead at first and then slowly moved directly at them and actually nudged the larger one with the hull before it swam off. I assume with that behaviour they were basking sharks? Either way it was one of the coolest experiences.
tyeegalore
Active Member
Well Kelly, we saw 2 off of Ukie in the heavy fog. First one was about 6-7 ft and the second about 5 ft, they were laying right on the surface and did not move, we slowed down and had a good look, thought they were dead at first and then slowly moved directly at them and actually nudged the larger one with the hull before it swam off. I assume with that behaviour they were basking sharks? Either way it was one of the coolest experiences.
I also heard the same thing about Basking sharks in our waters. Apparently it was common sport to cut them in half with the bow of boats. There was even a company that sold a metal blade that got fixed to the bow solely for that purpose. Very grim indeed that such a gentle fish was exterminated in such brutal fashion.
I also heard the same thing about Basking sharks in our waters. Apparently it was common sport to cut them in half with the bow of boats. There was even a company that sold a metal blade that got fixed to the bow solely for that purpose. Very grim indeed that such a gentle fish was exterminated in such brutal fashion.
R
RobTufnail
Guest
thats what i remember old commercial guys telling me
R
RobTufnail
Guest
thats what i remember old commercial guys telling me
Kildonan
Well-Known Member
I used to see them in Barkley Sound in the 1970's on occasion. I saw a huge one in Holford bay one time. There was a fellow jigging for cod off the bow of his boat on a dead flat, sunny day. The shark was lazilly approaching from the stern of his boat and he didn't see it coming. The shark slowly meandered past the port side of his boat and when it came into his peripheral vision, it was hillarious. The dude almost jumped out of his skin as me and my old man watched. We reckon at first he thought it was a killer whale.
It was a cool fish and it was very large. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how big exactly it was as it was far too long ago to remember clearly (middle 1970's) but suffice to say it was in excess of 10 feet.
It was a cool fish and it was very large. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how big exactly it was as it was far too long ago to remember clearly (middle 1970's) but suffice to say it was in excess of 10 feet.
Kildonan
Well-Known Member
I used to see them in Barkley Sound in the 1970's on occasion. I saw a huge one in Holford bay one time. There was a fellow jigging for cod off the bow of his boat on a dead flat, sunny day. The shark was lazilly approaching from the stern of his boat and he didn't see it coming. The shark slowly meandered past the port side of his boat and when it came into his peripheral vision, it was hillarious. The dude almost jumped out of his skin as me and my old man watched. We reckon at first he thought it was a killer whale.
It was a cool fish and it was very large. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how big exactly it was as it was far too long ago to remember clearly (middle 1970's) but suffice to say it was in excess of 10 feet.
It was a cool fish and it was very large. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how big exactly it was as it was far too long ago to remember clearly (middle 1970's) but suffice to say it was in excess of 10 feet.
B
blueorca
Guest
Kelly, here's my little story of one for you....
1982 I was diving with a friend off of a small Island very near Nanoose Bay before all the developement that you see there now. My buddy was located just below me at about 45 feet in depth and I was sitting in an anchored Zodiac waiting for him to surface....bubbles...bubbles... then nothing for about 30 seconds. He shot to the surface with eyes bulging and blue in the face...
He had been pinned to the ledge by what turned out to be a Basking Shark for the previous 10 minutes, unable to surface. Then his J valve jammed and he had no reserve after expelling his tank...
You also have to appreciate that there was a full bloom of brine in the water and visability was down to about ten feet..All he saw was a 30 foot black thing...no white patchs ..just black fish...
Two days later a commercial seiner caught it and dragged it to Nanaimo for processing into cat food..
I believe it even made the local papers at the time...
The only time I saw it was at the dock.
Firend never went diving again....me either....
1982 I was diving with a friend off of a small Island very near Nanoose Bay before all the developement that you see there now. My buddy was located just below me at about 45 feet in depth and I was sitting in an anchored Zodiac waiting for him to surface....bubbles...bubbles... then nothing for about 30 seconds. He shot to the surface with eyes bulging and blue in the face...
He had been pinned to the ledge by what turned out to be a Basking Shark for the previous 10 minutes, unable to surface. Then his J valve jammed and he had no reserve after expelling his tank...
You also have to appreciate that there was a full bloom of brine in the water and visability was down to about ten feet..All he saw was a 30 foot black thing...no white patchs ..just black fish...
Two days later a commercial seiner caught it and dragged it to Nanaimo for processing into cat food..
I believe it even made the local papers at the time...
The only time I saw it was at the dock.
Firend never went diving again....me either....
Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
Some good stories but when you add up the amount of time we all spend on the water its clear they are few and far between.My uncle has been still seeing them from a helicopter but he does a coastal loop around the island every day so thats alot of water covered. Ill ask him where they have been lately
D
DaveyJones
Guest
Little bit of Basking Shark history, thanks to Google.
Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Description
The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world, second only to another filter feeder, the whale shark. It has a conical snout and the gill slits extend almost completely around the top and bottom of its head. Associated with the gills are structures called gill rakers. These gill rakers are dark in colour and bristlelike and are used to catch plankton as water filters through the mouth and over the gills. The basking shark is usually grayish-brown in colour and often seems to have a mottled appearence. The caudal (tail) fin has a strong lateral keel and a crescent shape. The teeth in the basking shark are very small and numerous and often number one hundred per row. The teeth themselves have a single conical cusp, are curved backwards and are the same on both the upper and lower jaws.
Range
The basking shark ranges throughout the north and south Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, north and south Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, off southern Australia and around New Zealand.
In Canadian waters the basking shark is often seen during the summer and fall (May to September) near and around the coastline. It ranges from White Bay and Notre Dame Bay Newfoundland, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the Scotian Shelf, along the Nova Scotia coastline, in the Bay of Fundy and south towards the U.S. border.
Habitat
The basking shark is a pelagic animal, occurring in both coastal and oceanic waters from 200 to 2000 m deep, but often straying inshore. It is commonly seen very near the surface of the water along the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the spring and summer months. In offshore areas, it is often found near oceanic fronts at temperatures between 11 - 24 degrees Celcius.
Life History
The smallest free swimming basking shark caught was 165 cm. The basking shark can attain lengths of at least 10 meters, but the average size is 7-9 meters and may live up to 50 years. It is a highly migratory species. Although its seasonal movements are not well known, these animals migrate to deep water during the winter. Some may overwinter in the deeper waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They may occur in either small schools or alone. Small schools in the Bay of Fundy have been seen swimming nose to tail in circles in what may be a form of mating behaviour. Populations are often segregated by sex and size.
Diet
Basking sharks are planktonic feeders. By swimming with their mouths wide open, they filter plankton and small crustaceans out of the water with their long, tightly set gill rakers. The water then exits the body via the gill slits. Most of the plankton which is ingested consists of copepods and other crustaceans, fish eggs and larvae. The gill rakers are shed in the winter and are replaced the following spring.
Reproduction
Not much is known about the reproductive biology of the basking shark. They are believed to be ovoviviparous, giving birth to live pups during the summer after a gestation period of 2-3 years. The young are generally 1.5 to 1.7 meters (5 to 5.6 feet) long. It is believed males mature when they are between 6-8 years of age. Females reach sexual maturity when they are between 4 to 5 meters (13.2 to 16.5 feet) long and about 20 years of age. Pregnant females are seldom encountered (one report in 1776) suggesting that they may separate themselves from other individuals observed by man.
Interaction with People
The basking shark is often killed by boats and entangled in nets in the same manner as whales, and is considered endangered in some parts of the world. Historically it was harvested for its liver, which yields large amounts of oil used in oil lamps and as a machine lubricant. A single shark can yield 200-400 gallons of oil. In parts of western Canada in the 1950’s, it was considered a nuisance to fishermen; an eradication program to eliminate basking sharks involved fitting a Fisheries vessel with a sharpened ram on the bow to impale and kill basking sharks. Although this activity ceased many years ago, it decimated the basking shark numbers in the Canadian Pacific, and the population has still not recovered to this day.
Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Description
The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world, second only to another filter feeder, the whale shark. It has a conical snout and the gill slits extend almost completely around the top and bottom of its head. Associated with the gills are structures called gill rakers. These gill rakers are dark in colour and bristlelike and are used to catch plankton as water filters through the mouth and over the gills. The basking shark is usually grayish-brown in colour and often seems to have a mottled appearence. The caudal (tail) fin has a strong lateral keel and a crescent shape. The teeth in the basking shark are very small and numerous and often number one hundred per row. The teeth themselves have a single conical cusp, are curved backwards and are the same on both the upper and lower jaws.
Range
The basking shark ranges throughout the north and south Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, north and south Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, off southern Australia and around New Zealand.
In Canadian waters the basking shark is often seen during the summer and fall (May to September) near and around the coastline. It ranges from White Bay and Notre Dame Bay Newfoundland, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the Scotian Shelf, along the Nova Scotia coastline, in the Bay of Fundy and south towards the U.S. border.
Habitat
The basking shark is a pelagic animal, occurring in both coastal and oceanic waters from 200 to 2000 m deep, but often straying inshore. It is commonly seen very near the surface of the water along the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the spring and summer months. In offshore areas, it is often found near oceanic fronts at temperatures between 11 - 24 degrees Celcius.
Life History
The smallest free swimming basking shark caught was 165 cm. The basking shark can attain lengths of at least 10 meters, but the average size is 7-9 meters and may live up to 50 years. It is a highly migratory species. Although its seasonal movements are not well known, these animals migrate to deep water during the winter. Some may overwinter in the deeper waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They may occur in either small schools or alone. Small schools in the Bay of Fundy have been seen swimming nose to tail in circles in what may be a form of mating behaviour. Populations are often segregated by sex and size.
Diet
Basking sharks are planktonic feeders. By swimming with their mouths wide open, they filter plankton and small crustaceans out of the water with their long, tightly set gill rakers. The water then exits the body via the gill slits. Most of the plankton which is ingested consists of copepods and other crustaceans, fish eggs and larvae. The gill rakers are shed in the winter and are replaced the following spring.
Reproduction
Not much is known about the reproductive biology of the basking shark. They are believed to be ovoviviparous, giving birth to live pups during the summer after a gestation period of 2-3 years. The young are generally 1.5 to 1.7 meters (5 to 5.6 feet) long. It is believed males mature when they are between 6-8 years of age. Females reach sexual maturity when they are between 4 to 5 meters (13.2 to 16.5 feet) long and about 20 years of age. Pregnant females are seldom encountered (one report in 1776) suggesting that they may separate themselves from other individuals observed by man.
Interaction with People
The basking shark is often killed by boats and entangled in nets in the same manner as whales, and is considered endangered in some parts of the world. Historically it was harvested for its liver, which yields large amounts of oil used in oil lamps and as a machine lubricant. A single shark can yield 200-400 gallons of oil. In parts of western Canada in the 1950’s, it was considered a nuisance to fishermen; an eradication program to eliminate basking sharks involved fitting a Fisheries vessel with a sharpened ram on the bow to impale and kill basking sharks. Although this activity ceased many years ago, it decimated the basking shark numbers in the Canadian Pacific, and the population has still not recovered to this day.
S
Sugar Magnolia
Guest
[
]
]Similar threads
