Photo-identification is a powerful non invasive field technique for studying live sharks in their natural environment. It aids researchers to understand life histories and shark movements, especially important for a vulnerable and highly migratory species like the Basking Shark.

 

 Submit images for the Photo-ID Project
 

Very little is known about the life of the Basking Shark, partly because of the difficulty in conducting field research into an animal which spends most of its life under water, out of sight. During spring and summer they may be seen feeding on plankton at the sea surface, and this gives researchers and members of the public an opportunity to take photographs of the sharks, many of which display significant and recognisable identification markings. These are either in the form of natural markings (pigmentation) or acquired markings (scars, injuries), which are unique to individual animals. These markings are usually seen on the dorsal fin of the animal, but other areas such as the tail fin may also show variable markings.

 

What to do if you see a Basking Shark

The Marine Conservation Society has been recording Basking Shark sightings since 1987 and has since received information on over 15 000 sightings. The Marine Conservation Society now holds the UK's largest dataset on Basking Shark distribution and behaviour and is now contributing to wider studies to determine the factors that affect their abundance and seasonal appearance in UK waters

 

 

 

European Basking Shark Photo-id Project (EBSPiP)

The European Basking Shark Photo-id Project (EBSPiP) was created to collect and catalogue images of Basking Sharks in order to establish greater understanding of the population size, structure and movements of Basking Sharks around the British Isles and abroad.

 

The project aims to catalogue images of Basking Sharks sent in by water users, coastal path walkers, beach users, sailors, researchers in fact anyone who spots a Basking Shark and has a camera.

 

If you have a good, clear image of the dorsal fin or tail of a Basking Shark you can send it in to the EBSPiP and contribute to the better understanding of Britain’s largest fish. As matches are made we can make inferences about geographic movements over different time scales. This can provide valuable information about migrations, population structure and feeding behaviour and can then be used in developing conservation and management measures for the shark.

 

Don’t forget that if you are near Basking Sharks please follow the Code of Conduct.