The basking shark’s scientific name, Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translates to “great-nosed sea monster” in Greek. In reality, these placid sharks, found the world over, are totally harmless.

This week SharkFest is taking a look at the wilder side of sharks, including the exclusive peek above at the basking shark. This big-mouthed, plankton-eating shark is the second-largest living ...