A diver was taken to the hospital following an encounter with a great white shark in Percé, Quebec, located in the Gaspé region of the province. The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, as reported by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Plongée Percé, a commercial diving company, shared on Facebook that emergency response procedures were immediately put into action. The injured individual received initial medical assistance 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 Canadian Coast Guard identified the victim as being on the vessel Yoda, which is a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary dive boat. As of Wednesday afternoon, details about the extent of the victim’s injuries were not yet confirmed by the organization.
Kevin Dubé, a boat captain who witnessed the incident, mentioned that a distress call was received indicating an incident involving a diver. The injured person was brought to shore in a dinghy, with ambulances already present to swiftly transport the individual to the hospital.
Plongée Percé expressed gratitude on Facebook to all those involved in the rescue effort and announced the suspension of diving activities for the remainder of the season.
In recent months, sightings of great white sharks have become more frequent in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the coasts of the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands. Notably, four sharks named Webster, Ernst, Bella, and Nori are being tracked by Ocearch, a global non-profit organization dedicated to shark research. Nori was sighted south of Anticosti Island, while Ernst and Bella were observed swimming northeast of the Magdalen Islands.
According to Ocearch founder Chris Fischer, the population of great white sharks faced a significant decline from the 1970s to the 1990s, with only about nine percent of the global population remaining. Efforts were made to protect the remaining population, leading to the gradual recovery of the species.
The presence of sharks in the region is viewed positively by local fisheries, as sharks help regulate seal populations, ultimately benefiting fish stocks. Caroline Miri, a marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, highlighted the crucial role of sharks in maintaining marine ecosystems.
The recent surge in great white shark sightings in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is attributed to enhanced documentation and the species’ recovery status from being endangered in Canadian waters. These sharks are known to frequent the gulf and the Canadian Atlantic, particularly in areas with abundant grey seal populations.
Sandra Gauthier, director of the Exploramer science museum in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Quebec, acknowledged the inevitability of such incidents due to the increasing shark presence in the gulf. She emphasized the importance of coexisting with these wild animals and learning to adapt to their habitat.
The Canadian Shark Attack Registry has recorded 15 confirmed shark-related incidents in Canada over a span of more than 330 years, indicating that encounters with sharks are infrequent in the country.
