Basking shark spotted off B.C. coast, expert says sighting is like seeing a ‘unicorn’

A uncommon sighting successful nan waters disconnected B.C.’s seashore has quality lovers excited that a type whitethorn beryllium making a comeback.

Nick Gallant pinch Island Magic Experiences told Global News that during a caller excursion, his woman spotted an incredibly uncommon animal successful nan water.

They had a group of guests connected Wallace Island successful nan Gulf Islands pinch immoderate hanging retired astatine nan campy aliases going for a paddleboard.

Gallant said his woman decided to spell paddleboarding and return her camera and erstwhile she came backmost she said she had seen a basking shark.

“I was instantly like, ‘No, you didn’t. Like, you know, arsenic cool arsenic that would be, I very overmuch uncertainty it,'” he said.

“They’re truthful rare. And she pulled up nan footage and showed america and judge capable it was. So yeah, ace exciting.”

According to National Geographic, basking sharks are nan second-largest food successful nan world. They person six rows of teeth successful their precocious jaws and 9 rows beneath for a full of astir 1,500 mini teeth.

However, they are docile and nary threat to humans. They eat mini organisms called zooplankton, according to National Geographic.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says basking sharks were abundant successful galore areas disconnected B.C. but complete nan years their numbers successful nan area person declined.

“Since 1994, sightings successful British Columbia waters person go progressively rare, pinch only a mini number of anecdotal reports from fishermen, boaters and kayakers and occasional validated reports from onboard observers connected commercialized vessels,” nan DFO states connected its website.

Scott Wallace, co-owner of Outer Shores Lodge and an writer of a book astir basking sharks, told Global News that for him, a basking shark sighting is for illustration seeing a Sasquatch aliases unicorn.

“I cognize they beryllium retired there,” he said. “They’re truthful uncommon that erstwhile personification sees one, it’s conscionable specified a, you know, singular sighting. And past nan footage that (Gallant’s wife) took was incredible. You know, it wasn’t a mobility that it wasn’t a basking shark. You know, that’s amazing.”

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Wallace said basking sharks are solitary animals and tin unrecorded to beryllium betwixt 50 and 100 years old.

“I deliberation that’s what this peculiar video has done is conscionable really woken up people’s not conscionable imagination, but woken up people’s knowing of what you see, what we’ve mislaid present connected nan B.C. coast,” Wallace added.

Gallant said this basking shark was immense and longer than his wife’s paddleboard.

While this sighting happened successful June, Gallant said it is conscionable getting immoderate attraction now.

“It gives maine a batch of hope, you know, to spot these animals coming back,” he said.

“People are conscionable truthful happy that there’s dream that they’re coming backmost and that location could beryllium much successful nan future.”