Mary Bates, PhD

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Breaching Basking Sharks

Basking shark filter-feeding. Photo: Owen Exeter, used with permission.

If you’ve caught any “Shark Week” documentaries over the last few years, you’ve probably seen footage of massive great white sharks leaping out of the water to ambush prey. But great whites aren’t the only giant fish to show off in this way. It turns out that another shark species engages in just-as-impressive breaching behavior — and it is likely for very different reasons.

Read my latest Animal Minds post: Why Do These Giant Sharks Leap Out of the Water?