A group of Nanaimo-based scuba divers were able to capture clear, underwater footage of an ‘at risk’ shark last month, deeming it a “once in a lifetime” experience.
As orchestrated by dive master Matteo Endrizzi and his partner Maxime Veilleux, the four scuba divers were part of a larger weekend expedition in late May, consisting of approximately 40 divers, who went out to explore the Alberni Inlet near the China Creek campground.
Endrizzi, Connor McTavish, Garrett Clement, and Danton West all delved into the depths together to visit a popular shipwreck that McTavish and West had never seen before.
McTavish was the first to spot something moving in the water as he explored the mid-ship area alone.
“It caught the corner of my eye, and swam right up to me,” he said of the encounter. “And then turned a little bit, looked down at me, and then swam away … That whole time I was flashing my lights at everyone, while keeping an eye on it.”
The diver estimated that the bluntnose sixgill measured approximately six feet (1.8 metres), and knew he had to keep his wits about him.
“I’m in its element. If I panic, if I start flailing or anything it’s going to make things worse … It was clear right away that it wasn’t hostile … [We were] possibly the first divers it’s ever seen,” McTavish said.
After frantic hand signalling trying to get his friends’ attention, everyone saw the shark and two of the divers got their cameras out.
Endrizzi said this was his first face-to-face experience with an underwater animal so large off Vancouver Island, although he has seen bigger sharks while diving in the tropics. He also said through the Island diving community, he had heard of other divers capturing footage of a bluntnose sixgill, but mostly grainy images from decades ago.
“It’s been in the back of my head for a long time that I might possibly see one of these … It was always in my head that it was there and if you’re going to see them, there’s a better chance on the West Coast, or possibly in the inlet than in the strait,” Endrizzi said. “So, when I first saw the shark, I was just in awe. My heart started going … It amazed me.”
The divers speculated that the shark was curious about their presence and of all the activity in the water that day, given the size of the expedition team. Between Endrizzi’s and Clement’s footage, the divers were able to later identify that the animal was a juvenile, but could not determine its sex.
“I knew it was the biggest ‘shark-looking shark’ that we could see at the depths that we dive. And I also knew that they were super rare to see,” McTavish said.
The team submitted their finding to Fisheries and Ocean Canada, and in doing so, were given bluntnose sixgill patches.
“Anytime anyone sees a shark and they submit that information to them, they supply patches for that species … I’ve only got the one … but I saw three dogfish last summer, so I’ll go back through my records and submit that one … and work on a collection now,” Endrizzi said.
READ ALSO: Fisherman reels in five-foot shark near Nanaimo’s Entrance Island
In an e-mail, Jacquelynne King, research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, wrote there have been 14 shark species recorded off B.C.’s coast, with the bluntnose sixgill considered as common and known to frequent the west coast of Vancouver Island, including the Alberni Inlet. The species, however, is regarded as ‘at risk.’
King wrote that the footage received from the public is used to verify the species identification and track range.
King has created the Sharks of British Columbia ID guide, and co-authored the Royal B.C. Museum handbook ‘Sharks, Skates, Rays and Chimeras of British Columbia.’
Shark sightings can be reported by phone to 1-877-507-4275, or via e-mail to sharks@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
READ MORE: ‘Nothing to be scared of’: Dead shark washes up on B.C. shore
mandy.moraes@nanaimobulletin.com
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