Animals

20-foot basking shark spotted off the coast in Rhode Island

A massive basking shark spotted off the coast of Block Island drew comparisons to "Jaws."

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An unusually large visitor spent its Memorial Day in New England this year.

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of "Jaws," a massive basking shark was spotted off the coast of Block Island in Rhode Island on Monday.

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Video of the shark slicing through the water was taken by Jennifer Seebeck and shared on the Atlantic Shark Institute's social media pages.

"Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film," the organization said.

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While the titular "Jaws" is a great white, a basking shark is the second-largest fish species behind the whale shark. Great whites also have pointed fins, while basking sharks' are more rounded.

Additionally, instead of feasting on beachgoers, basking sharks eat plankton and smaller fish, according to the New England Aquarium.

Fifty years ago "Jaws" terrified audiences into staying out of the water. But researchers on the Cape have a much more nuanced take on the great white sharks in our waters.
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