Basking shark

A basking shark is a kind of fish that lives in the ocean. It's really big and can grow up to 40 feet long - that's longer than a school bus! They are called basking sharks because they like to lay in the sun near the surface of the ocean.

Basking sharks have a funny looking mouth that is sort of like a vacuum cleaner. They swim around with their mouth open, filtering water through their gills to catch tiny food like plankton and small shrimp.

Even though basking sharks are huge, they are actually quite gentle and peaceful creatures. They don't have any sharp teeth that could hurt people and they don't usually bother other animals. In fact, sometimes they will let people swim with them!

Unfortunately, basking sharks are endangered and there aren't as many of them as there used to be. People are working hard to protect them and make sure they continue to live happily in the ocean.