Basking Shark Project - global citizen science observations of Cetorhinus maximus

Sampling event Observation
Latest version published by Shark Trust on Apr 30, 2026 Shark Trust
Home:
http://www.baskingsharks.org
Publication date:
30 April 2026
Published by:
Shark Trust
License:
CC-BY 4.0

Download the latest version of this resource data as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) or the resource metadata as EML or RTF:

Data as a DwC-A file download 15,685 records in English (651 KB) - Update frequency: annually
Metadata as an EML file download in English (15 KB)
Metadata as an RTF file download in English (9 KB)

Description

This dataset details approved records from the Shark Trust's Basking Shark Project. This dataset is in part comprised of records from the Marine Conservation Society's Basking Shark Watch (1986-2018), and data provided from the Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Comprised of citizen science observations, records of Basking Sharks (sighted from land or at sea) from around the world have been complied to help better understand this species. Data comes mostly from ad-hoc records, with some observations recorded from more structured surveys and data uploads from partner organisations.

Data Records

The data in this sampling event resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 15,685 records.

2 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.

Event (core)
15685
ExtendedMeasurementOrFact 
23234
Occurrence 
17797

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

Versions

The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.

How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Allen H, Gordon C (2026). Basking Shark Project - global citizen science observations of Cetorhinus maximus. Version 1.1. Shark Trust. Samplingevent dataset. https://www.dassh.ac.uk/ipt/resource?r=st_baskingsharkproject&v=1.1

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is Shark Trust. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 2704fce8-280f-4fca-954e-ab520e67c830.  Shark Trust publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Ocean Biodiversity Information System.

Keywords

Samplingevent; social participation; Chondrichthyes; Observation

Contacts

Harriet Allen
  • Metadata Provider ●
  • Originator ●
  • Point Of Contact
  • Data Analyst
Shark Trust
  • 4 Creykes Court, 5 Craigie Drive
pl13jb Plymouth
Devon
GB
Cat Gordon
  • Originator ●
  • Point Of Contact
  • Senior Conservation Officer
Shark Trust
  • 4 Creykes Court, 5 Craigie Drive
pl13jb Plymouth
Devon
GB

Geographic Coverage

Global, with a participation bias from the British Isles.

Bounding Coordinates South West [-90, -180], North East [90, 180]

Taxonomic Coverage

Basking Sharks - Cetorhinus maximus

Species Cetorhinus maximus (Basking Shark)

Temporal Coverage

Start Date / End Date 1986-01-01 / 2024-12-31

Project Data

The Shark Trust’s Basking Shark Project engages citizen scientists in recording observations of Basking Sharks from around the world. This contributes to a better understanding of this species, such as regional seasonality and key areas of habitat use.

Title Basking Shark Project - citizen science observations of Basking Sharks, 1986-present.
Identifier ST_BSP
Funding Historic funders include: Countryside Council for Wales, DTO Bio-Flow, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Ken Watterson, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural England, Project AWARE, Save Our Seas Foundation and donations received through the Big Give's Green Match Fund and through specific Shark Trust appeals and adpotion programme.
Study Area Description Global, with a participation bias from the British Isles.
Design Description Citizen science observations. Many are ad hoc finds, while some areas are more regularly surveyed using a standardised methodology.

The personnel involved in the project:

Harriet Allen
  • Owner
Cat Gordon
  • Owner

Sampling Methods

Records are gathered from citizen science observations submitted on an ad-hoc basis, with some recorders and/or partner organisations undertaking more regular, structured surveys.

Study Extent Data is generated from citizen science observations. Many are ad-hoc observations, while some areas are more regularly surveyed using a standardised methodology. The majority of observations are from shore based sightings, with some being from boat or air.
Quality Control All data has been approved by a member of staff before publication. All records have undergone internal Quality Checks, with checks made against known species range and pin location checked and adjusted as required.

Method step description:

  1. NA

Additional Metadata

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Getting Started
Purpose
Maintenance Description Each subsequent year of data will be uploaded once internal QC has been completed.
Alternative Identifiers https://www.dassh.ac.uk/ipt/resource?r=st_baskingsharkproject