Did you know that basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) are the largest fish found in Canadian waters? These gentle giants are filter feeders, exclusively eating plankton. They can reach lengths of up to 12 metres; however, their average adult length is 6.7-8.8 metres, roughly the size of a bull killer whale. Basking sharks were once so common in B.C.'s waters that they were deemed a nuisance for fishers and boaters. An eradication program by the federal government running from 1955 to 1969 dispat