(July 14) -- Surfers off Long Island, N.Y., caught more than waves Tuesday morning, as they watched a 20-foot-long shark circle the waves and then wash ashore.
The basking shark was dead on the beach at Gilgo State Park by the time officials arrived, Newsday reported.
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Giant Creatures
World's Tallest Dog: The harlequin Great Dane has to make do without one of his giant legs. Gibson, photographed here with his owner in 2005, is battling bone cancer and veterinarians had to amputate his right front limb. The dog, who lives in Grass Valley, Calif., is a certified therapy dog and is expected to return to work visiting ill patients and veterans.
Sophia Hall / AP
Sophia Hall / AP
A crowd of about 40 people gathered on the beach, some taking pictures with cell phone cameras, according to the New York Post.
There were no visible wounds or injuries on the shark. Tracy Marcus of Cornell Cooperative Extension told The Associated Press the shark likely had some kind of illness.
New York State Parks official George Gorman said researchers would examine the shark to determine the cause of death. After that, the animal will be buried in sand dunes on the beach.
Basking sharks eat plankton and are not considered dangerous.
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