Basking sharks spotted off the coast of Cape May and Wildwood, New Jersey
CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBS) -- For the second time in two weeks, the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center said a basking shark was spotted in the waters off the South Jersey coast.
In a Facebook post from Aug. 1, the center shared video of a shark seen swimming about five miles off the coast of Cape May. The basking shark, which the center said is the second largest shark species alive today, was an estimated 15-20 feet long.
Back in July, another basking shark was spotted just off the coast of Wildwood, also estimated to be between 15-20 feet in length.
The Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center said it believes these were two different sharks because the shark seen near Wildwood had distinct notches on its dorsal fin, which didn't match the shark seen in Cape May.
Basking sharks are typically not considered dangerous to humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, and primarily eat zooplankton.
On Monday, another video of a possible shark sighting in Cape May started circulating on Facebook. CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the Cape May Beach Patrol for more information.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the coastal shark species typically encountered by anglers are sandbar, dusky, spiny dogfish, common thresher, shortfin mako and blue sharks.
Shark sightings along the Jersey Shore are typically more common in the summer as sharks move north with the warmer temperatures. Once it gets cooler in the fall, they migrate south again.