A diver was taken to the hospital following an encounter with a great white shark in Percé, Quebec, within the Gaspé region. The Canadian Coast Guard reported that the incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Plongée Percé, a commercial diving company, stated on Facebook that emergency protocols were immediately implemented. The injured individual received initial medical attention on-site before being swiftly transported to the hospital for further assessment. Fortunately, it was confirmed that their life was not in jeopardy.
The victim was on the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary dive boat named Yoda. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Coast Guard had not disclosed the specifics of the injuries sustained by the victim.
Kevin Dubé, a boat captain who witnessed the event, mentioned that a distress call was received regarding the diver’s situation. The injured diver was brought to shore in a dinghy. Dubé added that the ambulances were already present, and the injured person was promptly taken to the hospital.
Plongée Percé expressed gratitude towards those involved in the rescue operation on Facebook and announced the suspension of diving activities for the remainder of the season.
During the summer months, sightings of great white sharks became more frequent in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the coasts of the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands. Ocearch, a global non-profit organization aiding shark research, is tracking four of these sharks named Webster, Ernst, Bella, and Nori. Webster was spotted near Newfoundland and Labrador, while Ernst and Bella were located northeast of the Magdalen Islands.
Chris Fischer, the founder of Ocearch, mentioned that the global population of great white sharks had drastically declined from the 1970s to the 1990s, with only a small percentage remaining before conservation efforts were implemented. Having sharks in the area benefits local fisheries as they help regulate seal populations, ultimately safeguarding fish stocks.
Caroline Miri, a marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, highlighted the crucial role sharks play in marine ecosystems by managing invasive species and controlling fish populations lower in the food chain.
The St. Lawrence Shark Observatory attributed the recent surge in great white shark sightings in the gulf to improved monitoring and the species’ recovery from being endangered in Canadian waters. With large grey seal populations in the region, these sharks have become regular visitors to the Canadian Atlantic.
Sandra Gauthier, director of the Exploramer science museum, mentioned the inevitability of incidents like this due to the increasing shark presence in the gulf waters. While encounters are not uncommon, she emphasized the importance of understanding and coexisting with these creatures. The Canadian Shark Attack Registry has documented 15 confirmed shark-related incidents in Canada over more than 330 years.