Basking Shark Project

The Basking Shark Project is a great way for you to get involved with shark conservation.

During Basking Shark season these sharks can be seen at the surface in certain coastal areas (predominantly on the west coasts of Ireland, Scotland and in southwest England). This provides us with a fantastic opportunity to learn more about these elusive animals. You can help us learn more about these gentle giants by being on the look-out for them between April-October (Basking Shark season). If you spot a Basking Shark please record your sighting. If you manage to take a photo – please submit this too! That way we can verify your record.

Record your Sightings

Using the online Recording Hub

Our Shark Trust App

Please be sure to follow the Basking Shark Code of Conduct during any encounters to ensure a safe interaction for both you and the shark.

Today, Basking Sharks are one of the most widely protected and managed sharks in UK and EU waters (see threats and conservation). But there is still more to learn, and monitoring their movements can provide valuable information. The more we know about Basking Sharks the more informed conservation action can be.

The sightings data we collect is made available to researchers and other conservation organisations so we can work together to further Basking Shark conservation.

Click through to the results pages to see all sightings that have been submitted to the Basking Shark Project from 1987 to the present day. You can filter the date range and zoom in on different regions to see where Basking Sharks have been recorded.

Results dashboard

Basking Shark Reports

Basking Shark Project Report 2025

Basking Shark Report 2024

Basking Shark Report 2023

Basking Shark Report 2022

Basking Shark Report 2020

Photo-ID Database

Photo-identification is a powerful and non-invasive field technique. Used to study animals in their natural environment.

In the early 2000’s we worked with research groups around the British Isles and the Northeast Atlantic to create a photo-identification database.

Individual Basking Sharks can be identified by their unique fin markings. These can be natural, such as pigmentation marks. Or acquired, such as scars caused by parasites, or injuries from boats and fishing nets. With good quality photographs, individual sharks can be recognised on re-sighting and matched in the photo-ID database. This enables us to find out more about their movements and estimate population size. This is especially important for vulnerable and highly migratory species like the Basking Shark.

Capturing effective photo identification images is challenging. If you do get a high-quality image, these fin-id images can be uploaded along with your sighting. If you get a shot, please include it when you submit your sighting!

To find out more about Basking Sharks and how you can get involved

Click Here