A diver was taken to the hospital following an encounter with a great white shark in Percé, Que., located in Quebec’s Gaspé region. The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, as reported by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Plongée Percé, a commercial diving company, mentioned in a Facebook post that immediate emergency response actions were taken. The injured individual received initial care at the scene before being swiftly transported to the hospital for further assessment. Fortunately, it was confirmed that their life was not at risk.
The victim was on the vessel Yoda, a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary dive boat. However, as of Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Coast Guard could not verify the extent of the injuries sustained by the victim.
Kevin Dubé, a boat captain who witnessed the incident, described a distress call indicating an issue with a diver. The injured person was brought back to shore on a dinghy, with ambulances already present to provide prompt assistance and transport to the hospital.
Plongée Percé expressed gratitude to those involved in the rescue operation and announced the suspension of diving activities for the remainder of the season.
In recent months, there has been a rise in sightings of great white sharks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coasts of the Gaspé Peninsula, and the Magdalen Islands. Ocearch, a global non-profit organization specializing in shark research, is tracking four of these sharks – Webster, Ernst, Bella, and Nori. Notably, Nori was observed south of Anticosti Island, while Ernst and Bella were located northeast of the Magdalen Islands.
According to Ocearch founder Chris Fischer, the increased presence of great white sharks signifies a positive shift in ocean health. Fischer noted that the global population of these sharks was severely diminished from the 1970s to the 1990s, with only about nine percent remaining before conservation efforts were implemented.
The return of sharks to the area is seen as beneficial for local fisheries, as the presence of sharks helps regulate seal populations, consequently safeguarding fish stocks. Marine biologist Caroline Miri emphasized the crucial role sharks play in maintaining marine ecosystems by managing invasive species and balancing fish populations.
Sharks are drawn to areas with abundant seal populations, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, according to the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory. The recovery of the species, previously classified as endangered in Canadian waters, has contributed to the increased sightings of great white sharks in the region.
Sandra Gauthier, director of the Exploramer science museum, acknowledged that encounters with sharks are more likely as their numbers rise in the gulf. She emphasized the importance of coexisting with these wild animals and learning from other regions where shark encounters are more common and attacks are infrequent.
Despite the incident, statistics from the Canadian Shark Attack Registry show that only 15 confirmed shark-related incidents have occurred in Canada over a span of more than 330 years.