its true...

i've been denying this for about a year, my mum probably being the person which most goes on about it, but the amount of evidence is piling up, and i have to accept that its true. not seen one in person yet, but i would surely soil my wetsuit if i saw one of these in the water...

basking shark - falmouth bay

The basking shark - cetorhinus maximus - is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark.
• They can reach up to 36ft and weigh up to seven tons. They are the largest wild animal to regularly visit Britain.
• Despite their bulk they can leap clear of the water.
• They get their name because they bask on the surface.
• They filter the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool every hour to take in enough plankton.
• They are a protected species in Britain, but are killed in large numbers elsewhere for their liver oil, meat and cartilage.
• In Asia they are used to make shark-fin soup. A single large fin can be worth £5,000.
• They swim, at no more than 3mph, by moving their entire bodies from side to side, not just their tails like other sharks