{"id":130229,"date":"2022-06-21T10:01:39","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T10:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/"},"modified":"2022-06-21T10:01:39","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T10:01:39","slug":"can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/","title":{"rendered":"Can basking sharks close their mouth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_basking_sharks_close_their_mouth\" title=\"Can basking sharks close their mouth?\">Can basking sharks close their mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Is_the_basking_sharks_mouth_always_open\" title=\"Is the basking sharks mouth always open?\">Is the basking sharks mouth always open?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#What_shark_swims_with_its_mouth_open\" title=\"What shark swims with its mouth open?\">What shark swims with its mouth open?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Does_basking_shark_eat_human\" title=\"Does basking shark eat human?\">Does basking shark eat human?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_a_basking_shark_shut_its_mouth\" title=\"Can a basking shark shut its mouth?\">Can a basking shark shut its mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Why_does_a_basking_shark_open_its_mouth\" title=\"Why does a basking shark open its mouth?\">Why does a basking shark open its mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Does_a_basking_shark_ever_close_its_mouth\" title=\"Does a basking shark ever close its mouth?\">Does a basking shark ever close its mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_you_get_swallowed_by_a_basking_shark\" title=\"Can you get swallowed by a basking shark?\">Can you get swallowed by a basking shark?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#What_shark_keeps_its_mouth_open\" title=\"What shark keeps its mouth open?\">What shark keeps its mouth open?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_sharks_open_their_mouths\" title=\"Can sharks open their mouths?\">Can sharks open their mouths?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#What_are_the_sharks_with_the_big_mouth\" title=\"What are the sharks with the big mouth?\">What are the sharks with the big mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Will_a_basking_shark_hurt_you\" title=\"Will a basking shark hurt you?\">Will a basking shark hurt you?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#How_many_people_have_died_from_a_basking_shark\" title=\"How many people have died from a basking shark?\">How many people have died from a basking shark?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_sharks_eat_a_whole_human\" title=\"Can sharks eat a whole human?\">Can sharks eat a whole human?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Are_basking_shark_mouth_always_open\" title=\"Are basking shark mouth always open?\">Are basking shark mouth always open?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#What_happens_if_you_get_stuck_in_a_basking_sharks_mouth\" title=\"What happens if you get stuck in a basking sharks mouth?\">What happens if you get stuck in a basking sharks mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Has_a_basking_shark_ever_swallowed_a_human\" title=\"Has a basking shark ever swallowed a human?\">Has a basking shark ever swallowed a human?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Do_basking_sharks_close_their_mouth\" title=\"Do basking sharks close their mouth?\">Do basking sharks close their mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Why_cant_you_touch_a_basking_shark\" title=\"Why can&#8217;t you touch a basking shark?\">Why can&#8217;t you touch a basking shark?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Why_do_basking_sharks_have_weird_mouths\" title=\"Why do basking sharks have weird mouths?\">Why do basking sharks have weird mouths?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_basking_shark_swallow_a_human\" title=\"Can basking shark swallow a human?\">Can basking shark swallow a human?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Can_you_touch_a_basking_shark\" title=\"Can you touch a basking shark?\">Can you touch a basking shark?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Do_sharks_swallow_people_whole\" title=\"Do sharks swallow people whole?\">Do sharks swallow people whole?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#Do_basking_sharks_hurt_humans\" title=\"Do basking sharks hurt humans?\">Do basking sharks hurt humans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/can-basking-sharks-close-their-mouth\/#What_shark_always_has_its_mouth_open\" title=\"What shark always has its mouth open?\">What shark always has its mouth open?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_basking_sharks_close_their_mouth\"><\/span>Can basking sharks close their mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A common question is whether basking sharks can close their mouths, and the answer is <b>yes. They have to in order to filter out excess water through their gills.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-do-i-reset-my-petkit-food-dispenser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How do I reset my Petkit food dispenser?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_basking_sharks_mouth_always_open\"><\/span>Is the basking sharks mouth always open?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In order to eat, <b>basking sharks keep their mouths open while they swim, and sift the plankton out of the water.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_shark_swims_with_its_mouth_open\"><\/span>What shark swims with its mouth open?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <b>basking shark is a ram feeder, filtering zooplankton, very small fish, and invertebrates from the water with its gill rakers by swimming forwards with their mouths open.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_basking_shark_eat_human\"><\/span>Does basking shark eat human?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In short, <b>basking sharks dont usually eat humans. Though theyre certainly large enough to consume one whole, a basking shark has other priorities when it comes to eating and searching for food. That being said, it probably wouldnt be too comfortable if a human being came into contact with a basking sharks mouth.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_basking_shark_shut_its_mouth\"><\/span>Can a basking shark shut its mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In order to eat, <b>basking sharks keep their mouths open while they swim, and sift the plankton out of the water.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_does_a_basking_shark_open_its_mouth\"><\/span>Why does a basking shark open its mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A common question is whether basking sharks can close their mouths, and the answer is yes. <b>They have to in order to filter out excess water through their gills.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_a_basking_shark_ever_close_its_mouth\"><\/span>Does a basking shark ever close its mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A common question is whether basking sharks can close their mouths, and the answer is <b>yes. They have to in order to filter out excess water through their gills.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_get_swallowed_by_a_basking_shark\"><\/span>Can you get swallowed by a basking shark?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The basking shark <b>exclusively feeds on microscopic animals called zooplankton, which it catches by opening its mouth and allowing water to flow over its enlarged gill slits.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_shark_keeps_its_mouth_open\"><\/span>What shark keeps its mouth open?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The large size of their mouths, and the small size of their teeth directly coincide with the sharks unexpected diet. In order to eat, <b>basking sharks keep their mouths open while they swim, and sift the plankton out of the water.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_sharks_open_their_mouths\"><\/span>Can sharks open their mouths?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A common question is whether basking sharks can close their mouths, and the answer is <b>yes. They have to in order to filter out excess water through their gills.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_sharks_with_the_big_mouth\"><\/span>What are the sharks with the big mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>These two shark species, it turns out, use their jaw-muscle setup in different ways to sustain their particular dining habits. <b>As a great white opens its mouth, the muscles hit this sweet spot immediately and stay that way.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_a_basking_shark_hurt_you\"><\/span>Will a basking shark hurt you?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite their immense size, basking sharks are <b>not dangerous to humans.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_people_have_died_from_a_basking_shark\"><\/span>How many people have died from a basking shark?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Did you know? Amazingly, basking sharks have been seen breaching the water, possibly as part of mating activity. The only known human deaths involving basking sharks were in the Firth of Clyde when a breaching shark capsized a small boat and <b>three of the men onboard drowned<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_sharks_eat_a_whole_human\"><\/span>Can sharks eat a whole human?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most sharks are not dangerous to humans  people are not part of their natural diet. Despite their scary reputation, <b>sharks rarely ever attack humans and would much rather feed on fish and marine mammals.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_basking_shark_mouth_always_open\"><\/span>Are basking shark mouth always open?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Yes, basking sharks can close their mouths. However, most pictures of a basking shark show it with its mouth open. This is because basking sharks swim through the ocean with their mouths open wide to take in the plankton-rich water as part of their feeding process.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_you_get_stuck_in_a_basking_sharks_mouth\"><\/span>What happens if you get stuck in a basking sharks mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Basking Sharks Eating Humans: Final Thoughts With over 1500 small, sharp teeth lining the inside of its jaw, thats a situation youd want to avoid. As long as you stay calm and refrain from causing a lot of motion if youre ever in close contact with a basking shark, <b>you are very likely to be safe (and not eaten!)<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Has_a_basking_shark_ever_swallowed_a_human\"><\/span>Has a basking shark ever swallowed a human?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They do not bite their prey, so are <b>extremely unlikely to attack a human. However their massive size means swimmers and sailors should not get too close. In 1937 three men drowned when a basking shark reportedly capsized their boat in Kilbrannan Sound off Kintyre, Scotland.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_basking_sharks_close_their_mouth\"><\/span>Do basking sharks close their mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When swimming with basking sharks, <b>you can sometimes observe them either swimming with their mouth closed or closing their mouth to swallow food. At this time, with the mouth closed, their outline looks very similar to large predatory sharks and can be quite an exhilarating experience.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_cant_you_touch_a_basking_shark\"><\/span>Why can&#8217;t you touch a basking shark?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With <b>over 1500 small, sharp teeth lining the inside of its jaw, thats a situation youd want to avoid. As long as you stay calm and refrain from causing a lot of motion if youre ever in close contact with a basking shark, you are very likely to be safe (and not eaten!).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_basking_sharks_have_weird_mouths\"><\/span>Why do basking sharks have weird mouths?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>My hunch (and it is only that) is that <b>a basking shark is actually very unlikely to swallow a large object in its path &#8211; it would much more likely avoid it or close its mouth. There are always photos of people swimming in front of big filter feeding sharks but no reliable reports of anyone being swallowed.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_basking_shark_swallow_a_human\"><\/span>Can basking shark swallow a human?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Its jaw is enormous, measuring in at about one meter (approximately three feet) in width, lined with hundreds of tiny teeth. Thats <b>wide enough to consume at least one human in his or her entirety<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_touch_a_basking_shark\"><\/span>Can you touch a basking shark?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Do NOT swim with, touch or feed Basking Sharks.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_sharks_swallow_people_whole\"><\/span>Do sharks swallow people whole?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite having 3,000 teeth, they also dont chew their food; <b>they either give an initial bite and wait for the prey to bleed out or clamp down on it and shake it to tear off chunks that are then swallowed whole.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_basking_sharks_hurt_humans\"><\/span>Do basking sharks hurt humans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Basking sharks are passive and no danger to humans in general, but they are large animals and their skin is extremely rough, so caution is urged during any encounters.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_shark_always_has_its_mouth_open\"><\/span>What shark always has its mouth open?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <b>basking shark is a ram feeder, filtering zooplankton, very small fish, and invertebrates from the water with its gill rakers by swimming forwards with their mouths open.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Can basking sharks close their mouth?Is the basking sharks mouth always open?What shark swims with its mouth open?Does basking shark eat human?Can a basking shark shut its mouth?Why does a basking shark open its mouth?Does a basking shark ever close its mouth?Can you get swallowed by a basking shark?What shark keeps its&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130229\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}