A video captures a rare sighting of a bluntnose sixgill shark off the B.C. coast on August 8, 2024. CTV News
Scuba divers off the coast of British Columbia had a rare and thrilling encounter with an elusive shark this week, and it was all captured on video. On Thursday evening, a juvenile bluntnose sixgill shark was spotted near Lions Bay, a small community just north of Vancouver, at a depth of about 50 feet.
Mitchell Hewitt, a marine biologist with Keystone Environmental and an avid diver, described the experience as a dream come true. “The bluntnose sixgill is a pinnacle find for divers in Howe Sound because they are so rare,” said Hewitt. “We got to spend around 10 minutes with the shark, and it was truly amazing.”
These sharks usually reside much deeper, between 550 and 7,000 feet below the surface. Juveniles, however, sometimes venture into shallower waters, making sightings like this exceptionally rare. Hewitt, who dives daily during the summer, usually encounters other marine life such as giant Pacific octopuses or spiny lumpsuckers, but this encounter was exceptional.
Hewitt’s excitement was palpable. The shark even briefly swam between his legs, an experience he described as meeting a “gentle giant” or “a big sea puppy.” Despite the safety protocols divers follow underwater, Hewitt couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, as evidenced by his breathless recording on his Olympus EM-1 Mark II camera.
Beyond the excitement of the encounter, Hewitt shared this experience to showcase the incredible creatures that live in our local waters. His work often involves rebuilding reefs or cataloging species, and he wanted to highlight the wonders that are often just out of sight.
Hewitt reassured the public that there is no need to worry about encountering such a shark while swimming at popular beaches like English Bay or Kitsilano Beach. Bluntnose sixgill sharks are rarely found near shore, and there has been only one recorded incident of a bluntnose attack on a human since the 1500s.
“It’s a beautiful, docile shark,” Hewitt emphasized, aiming to alleviate any concerns. “I don’t want people to be frightened.”
