Basking sharks are fascinating creatures, and one common question about them is whether they can close their mouths. The answer is yes, but with some caveats. While basking sharks can indeed close their mouths, they often keep them open while feeding. This makes them unique among many shark species.
These sharks are filter feeders, meaning they swim with their mouths wide open, taking in large amounts of water and filtering out plankton and small fish. When they are not feeding, basking sharks can and do close their mouths. However, their mouths are large and can be quite heavy, which might limit how frequently they do so during their feeding process.
In summary, basking sharks can close their mouths, but they typically leave them open to feed efficiently in the ocean.