It might be scary - but ocean specialists say it is not dangerous. A group of basking sharks have been seen in the last week off the south shore of eastern Long Island. The sharks are not considered dangerous to humans. A 17-foot long basking shark washed up dead on the beach of Southampton Village on Friday. The cuase of death has not been imediately determined.

The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation has gotten a few calls this week about the sharks being spotted.

An adult basking shark can grow to 33-feet long and can weigh four tons.

The have hundreds of very small teeth that are generally used for filtering tiny plants and animals from the water. Marine Biologist John Morrissey at Hofstra University says they sometimes swim in groups nose to tail, making it seem like a long sea monster is in the water.

They like cold water and are swimming north from the Carolinas to Maine, where they spend the summer.