A rare shark surprised a group of divers in Canada. The “surreal” moment occurred in Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island, when the four divers were exploring a sunken ship. The video was shared on YouTube.
Connor McTavish was the first person to see a yellowfin shark: “It’s a huge shark, it’s just unreal”, said the Canadian newspaper Global News. “It was both scary and amazing. What a beautiful thing to see.”
Images filmed by the group in late May were published by Garrett Clement on YouTube in early June. They show the moment of an encounter between a diver and a yellowfin shark. The animal approached and swam around the group for several minutes.
“When I saw him, there was incredible joy,” said Matteo Endrizzi, who recorded the moment. “For me personally, it’s just a matter of ‘I have to turn the camera on, because if I don’t record this, no one is going to believe us’.”
There’s a reason why this encounter is so unlikely – and even hard to believe: Albafar sharks are a species that inhabit the deepest regions of the ocean, and it’s rare for them to swim to the surface.
When it appeared, the shark also disappeared. In the Port Alberni area, according to Matteo Endrizzi, there were about 40 divers when the sighting occurred, but no one else could see the animal. The achievement was provoking”jealousy” at another diver.
The yellowfin shark was attracted to the lights the four were carrying and ended up “Round” among divers.
“He came to my lantern, then went to Garret’s and came back to my lantern. It continues to circulate between us”, said Endrezzi.
The diver further explained that this species “Not known“because of being”aggressive”. Furthermore, the specimen that visited them was “a young person”.
Yellowfin sharks have six gills – unlike other species which only have five – and six rows of large teeth on their lower jaw. In adults, it can reach five meters in length and weigh 600 kilograms, he explained Canadian Department of the Environment.
The diving group reported the yellowfin shark sighting to the Canadian Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans. Although the population size in Canadian waters is unknown, authorities estimate there are at least 7,900 specimens.
“Geek zombie. Subtly charming social media scholar. Beer enthusiast. Lifelong bacon pioneer.”
