The basking shark’s scientific name, Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translates to “great-nosed sea monster” in Greek. In reality, these placid sharks, found the world over, are totally harmless.

Marine researchers are investigating the recent death of a basking shark that washed up on Mayo Beach in Wellfleet, in the same general area where another basking shark washed up eight years ago.

The sighting of a basking shark in Cornwall this week has been dubbed "exciting" by a wildlife trust. It comes after a video emerged on social media of the animal in St Ives harbour. Abby Crosby ...

Note: The basking shark and great white shark shown here are represented at a scale of 25.5 feet and 13.5 feet, respectively; Infographic: Maura Losch/Axios Not every fin moving slowly in dark ...

One of those sharks unfortunately washed up dead on a Cape beach earlier this week, as researchers responded to Wellfleet Harbor and took samples from the massive 6,000-pound basking shark.