Vancouver Island scuba divers spot sixgill shark in rare shallow-water sighting
Connor McTavish and three companions had just planned to explore the site of a shipwreck in Alberni Inlet on Vancouver Island last month when he spotted something in the corner of his eye — a two-metre-long sixgill shark.
McTavish and fellow divers Garrett Clement, Danton West and Matteo Endrizzi had made the trip from Nanaimo, B.C., to explore the waters of the inlet in late May.
McTavish was first to spot the animal and used a flashlight and hand signals to alert the others to the shark. It was hard for them to believe, he said.
He briefly lost sight of the creature but it reappeared around the wreck. The group trained cameras on it, capturing what they say is incredibly rare footage of a shark not usually seen in shallower waters.
"Thank goodness I'm diving with some phenomenal videographers because they were able to get that unreal footage," McTavish said. "Otherwise, nobody would have believed us or myself that, you know, there's this incredibly rare shark to see."
The footage was recently posted to Clement's Uncharted Odyssey YouTube channel.
McTavish said his initial nervousness and fear of the shark soon turned to wonder at the creature's beauty.
"It was just going through my mind that I'm in its element. It's just curious. (You) just stay calm and watch it pass and that's the best I can do," he said. "For the most part, it was just amazement and wonder how beautiful the thing was."
He said he's been on about 75 dives. Though each one has offered different wildlife to admire, seeing the shark was a highlight for him and his fellow divers.
McTavish said some divers can go a lifetime without being so lucky and the Calgary native feels grateful for the experience.
"It's definitely a treat to have seen it. You never know when you'll get a chance, you've just got to get in the water," he said. "I'm not going to stop just because we've seen the unicorn."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.