Gift of rare basking shark to Victorian scientists 'fantastic' for research

The 3,500kg, 6.5-metre 'gentle giant' accidentally netted by trawler in Bass Strait and donated to Museum Victoria

A basking shark, rarely seen in Australian waters, will be donated to scientists after it was caught by the Castella Rosa fishing trawler off Victoria's south-west coast.

The 3,500kg, 6.5-metre shark was being dissected by staff from Museum Victoria on Tuesday after being pulled in by the trawler on Sunday afternoon at Portland.