This species prefers cool and temperate waters and is distributed almost worldwide, although they appear to be limited to regions on the continental shelf. They are seen both in immediate proximity to the shore as well as in open waters. They also appear to be migratory, periodically appearing in certain places. Basking sharks can be found on the northern hemisphere off the coast of China, Korea and around Japan, on the East coast of the U.S., from Newfoundland down to Florida, around Great Britain and Norway, but also in the Mediterranean. In the southern hemisphere they are found primarily in Southern Australia, parts of South America and the tip of South Africa.
