The large white shark recently made headlines in the east of the country, not without reason. This year, more than ever, it is present in the Gulf St. Lawrence, and it seems to please our waters, among others because they warm up and that seals abound.
On July 30, boaters, on the occasion of an excursion to the sea, off Gaspé, lived a rare moment. On the surface of the water, a shark was shake and devoured a gray seal. The scene was filmed. So to speak, crunched on the spot.
Curiously, the same day, near Halifax, a Marine biology student photographed a white shark that emerged from the sea, a fixed eye and a gaping mouth.
The photo she took could not fail to recall the scenes of Steven Spielberg, The teeth of the seabecause this masterpiece of the genre, returned to theaters this summer to mark its first outing in 1975, features … a white shark.
If the white shark came back in force on the big screen, his arrival in the waters of the Maritimes did not go unnoticed either. On the other hand, it will populate the region gradually. It will hardly be surprised, considering that it belongs to species in danger.
Indeed, too long the prey of sporting and commercial peaches, the white shark almost disappeared. For the past twenty years, conservation measures have been decreed to prevent its extinction. Its most recent forays on the East Canadian coast tend to confirm that these efforts have been successful.
Besides, it is unknown what the population is large white sharks in the Atlantic, even less how many individuals crisscross the waters of the maritime provinces.
The big return
In an email addressed to the Nouvelle Acadie on Monday, Rachael Mahoney, communications advisor at the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, confirmed that this exceptional predator was more than ever present in our regions. Citing a recent study, she wrote: “There was an increase in the presence of white sharks in Canadian waters as well as an increase in the time they spend in these waters between 2019 and 2022.”
Based on other research work, she added that sharks “tend to stay in coastal areas where the depth of the water is less than 200 meters”.
To better understand how the species behaves, the ministry lists the observations reported by the public and compiles the data provided by the monitoring of white sharks “labeled”.
If the influx of this species in the Maritimes is difficult to measure, the website of the International Scientific Organization OCEAarch (www.ocearch.org) undeniably attests to their presence on our coasts. It provides constantly updated information based on the monitoring of individuals with transmitters.
This is how Ocearch spotted, on August 1, a white shark in the Gulf Saint-Laurent, near the Islands-de-la-Madeleine. On July 29 and 30, two other individuals crisscrossed the waters of the Cabot Strait, on the side of Cap-Breton, while a dozen days a fourth white shark was swimming in the vicinity of Canso, in N.-é.
Finally, on August 9, a fifth shark along the south coast of Nova Scotia, near Pubnico.
However, as this is only a sample, the number of individuals in our waters is undoubtedly higher.
If no one can explain with certainty what encourages large white sharks to venture north of New England, peaches and oceans believe that the increase in temperatures could be an important factor. Likewise, certain marine species, potential prey, would have experienced significant growth.
The Saint-Laurent shark observatory issued the same hypotheses.
“Whether you like it or not, the big white shark seems to make its comeback in Atlantic Canada and in the St. Lawrence: its physical environment changes under the effects of global warming,” you can read in its website.
Beware of sharks!
For decades, biologists and specialists have denounced the bad reputation that has unjustly been attributed to sharks. The latter, contrary to popular belief, rarely attack man, especially because he is not part of their diet.
The St. Lawrence Shark Observatory notes that they “do not seek humans as a prey, and the risk of being bitten is infinitely small”.
The same organization notes, however, that the “predatory nature” of the shark, certain “environmental variables”, water where visibility is bad and the presence of seals “make dangerous some of the largest species”.
“We believe that the risk of aggressive meetings with sharks in Canada has increased and that it will continue to grow,” said the observatory.
As a precaution, the organization recently disseminated an opinion for divers and boaters.
The founder of the observatory, Jeffrey Gallant, in an interview with the Canadian press, has also reiterated the warning. He notably advises against anyone to dive into “notoriously rich places in seals”, because they are “active predation areas”.
In addition, he suggests the paddles and boaters to stay away from sharks when they are on the surface and devour a prey.
“A white shark in a predation situation can adopt an energetic and unpredictable behavior, and in rare cases, hit a boat or accidentally bite a sausage or an engine, out of curiosity or by mistake,” he told the Canadian press.
Large white sharks are formidable hunters. They can live up to 70 years or more. In adulthood, the larger ones can make 6 meters (20 feet) and weigh 1900 kg (4,200 pounds).