A diver in Percé, Quebec, was taken to the hospital following an encounter with a great white shark in the Gaspé region. The incident occurred 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 emergency response actions were promptly initiated. The injured individual received immediate first aid on-site before being swiftly transported to the hospital for further assessment, ensuring their safety.
Identified as being on the vessel Yoda, a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary dive boat, the victim’s injuries were yet to be confirmed by the Canadian Coast Guard as of Wednesday afternoon. Kevin Dubé, a boat captain who witnessed the event, stated that a mayday call alerted them to the diver’s distress. The injured person was swiftly brought ashore in a dinghy, with ambulances already present to provide assistance and transport to the hospital.
Plongée Percé expressed gratitude on Facebook for the rescue aid and announced the suspension of diving activities for the remainder of the season. The increase in great white shark sightings has been notable over the summer in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, around the Gaspé Peninsula, and the Magdalen Islands. Ocearch, a global non-profit organization tracking sharks, is monitoring four sharks – Webster, Ernst, Bella, and Nori – in the region. The presence of these sharks, particularly the significant shark Webster weighing over 1,000 pounds, signifies a positive shift in the ocean’s health according to Ocearch founder Chris Fischer.
Sharks, drawn by the abundant seal populations in the area, are playing a crucial role in maintaining marine ecosystems, as emphasized by marine biologist Caroline Miri. The St. Lawrence Shark Observatory attributes the surge in great white sightings to improved documentation and the recovery of the species, once endangered in Canadian waters. Sandra Gauthier, director of the Exploramer science museum, noted the inevitability of such incidents with the rising shark population in the gulf. She emphasized the importance of coexisting with these wild animals, citing the rarity of shark attacks globally. The Canadian Shark Attack Registry has recorded only 15 confirmed shark-related incidents in Canada over more than 330 years.