Shark sightings always generate a lot of buzz. When people see a large dorsal fin cutting through the water, most of the public assumes that it is a great white shark. It's important to take these sightings seriously and clear the water—these are wild animals, after all. But the irony is that in Massachusetts, the vast majority of the time that fin actually belongs to a harmless basking shark.

Basking shark with divers | Photo: Chris Gotschalk via

The Massachusetts Fisheries Department has put together a fantastic video that points out some of the distinctions between these two species. As you try to squeeze in a few more trips to the beach before swapping swim suits for sweaters, here are some interesting facts to share with fellow beach-goers. Take a look!



The fin of a basking sharks can also be confused with large ocean sunfish, or mola mola. Here's another video that illustrates the differences between these two ocean animals.



Sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a couple more shark sightings on the Aquarium's blogs!

• Giant and harmless basking sharks return to the New England coast
• Meet the sleek and awesome blacknose sharks in the Giant Ocean Tank (with pretty amazing underwater video of feeding time)
• The shark and ray touch tank also has a variety of amazing sharks in residence, like coral catsharks and epaulette sharks.
• Some of the sharks in the touch tank were born here at the Aquarium!
• Don't forget about some of the lesser-known sharks at the Aquarium.
• The right whale researchers spotted a mola mola in the Bay of Fundy this year (NOT to be confused with a basking shark).
• During aerial surveys one winter, they snapped a picture of a (really) big shark.