Irish scientists help unravel the secret behind basking sharks’ social circles: It’s all about sex

From west Clare to the Aran Islands, the huge circles of basking sharks appear to be akin to a dating app or a dancefloors, with sharks exhibiting courtship behaviour in search of a mate. Picture: Simon Burrow

Irish and British scientists have unraveled the mystery of why basking sharks tend to congregate in circles — like their human counterparts, sharks like to go “on the pull” together for potential mates.

Like groups of lads and lasses up and down the land on any given Saturday night looking for a bit of romance, basking sharks “speed-date” with each other to find prospective partners.