Open-Ocean Basking Sharks Can Disappear From Coastal Waters For Months

An entire regional population can seem to vanish overnight.

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Large surface groups are often linked to dense seasonal plankton blooms in temperate regions.

Seasonal basking shark aggregations in coastal waters often disperse abruptly, with individuals moving offshore into deeper open-ocean habitats. Tracking studies confirm that these disappearances are migrations rather than die-offs.

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For observers along coastlines, the sudden absence of multiple bus-sized sharks can feel like a mystery. In reality, the animals may be traveling hundreds or thousands of kilometers to track shifting plankton concentrations.

This pattern reveals how tightly their survival is synchronized with microscopic prey dynamics. Coastal sightings represent only a fraction of their true range, much of which unfolds far beyond regular human observation.

Source

Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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