Groups of adult to 1,400 basking sharks seen off off N.S., northeastern U.S.

Scientists contend a class of large, though harmless, shark has been entertainment in atypically vast groups off a seashore of a northeastern United States and Canada.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says groups of 30 to 1,400 basking sharks have been seen in waters from Nova Scotia to Long Island, N.Y. between 1980 and 2013.

The group says sightings of basking sharks are common, though saying them in such vast groups is not.

The basking shark is a second-largest fish on a planet. It can grow some-more than 7.6 metres in length, lives on a plankton diet and is not assertive or dangerous to humans.

NOAA says a reason a animals have been congregating in vast groups “has not been clearly determined,” though it’s expected associated to feeding, socializing or courtship.

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/basking-sharks-coast-nova-scotia-1.4600818?cmp=rss