Overview
- A diver was bitten by a great white shark near Percé and was taken to hospital after first aid on board the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel Yoda; authorities say the person’s life is not in danger.
- The Maritime Joint Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted at about 10:27 a.m. and paramedics met the vessel when it arrived in Percé on Wednesday, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
- Plongée Percé suspended all diving activities for the rest of the season and thanked rescuers while citing privacy in withholding further medical or forensic details.
- Scientists and trackers have documented a rise in great white detections in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with multiple individuals tracked by OCEARCH and researchers linking sharks’ presence to large grey seal colonies.
- Confirmed shark incidents in Canadian waters remain very rare with 15 recorded over roughly 330 years, but the bite could prompt more beach closures, monitoring technology and safety rules that would affect local tourism and fishing businesses.