Canada's The Chronicle Herald wrote that a "scary huge" great white shark was spotted by a ship of whale watchers on Aug 17, 2011 in the Bay of Fundy off Brier Island, Nova Scotia. According to the report, Fulton Lavender, a Nova Scotia Bird Society naturalist claims that the shark was over 25 in his personal opinion.
Initially, Fulton thought the shark to be a basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), which can normally grow to lengths of over 25. That being said, after seeing photos of the shark taken by a traveller aboard the whale-watching boat, Fulton said it was "definitely a great white shark." Others aboard the ship reported that the shark had a white underside. While basking sharks don't characteristically have a white underside, white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) do. Fulton also added the pictures taken showed facial patterns and a dorsal fin indicative of a white shark.
The visitor who took the pictures of the animal guaranteed to provide Brier Island officials with a copy of a picture of the animal but has still to do so.
Adult white sharks are usually in the range of 13-17 in length, but reports of specimens reaching 20, though slightly rare, are not unheard of. A white shark exceeding 25 in length would be extremely outside of the ordinary size range of the species.
Reid Gillis, a skipper for one of the whale watching ships says he saw the animal breach three times, but he could not identify the species as a white shark. The shark was also blamed by some of the whale watchers for attacking a local humpback whale who was seen with "crescent-shaped" injuries. Gillis who saw the wounds on the whale noted that he didn't see the shark attack the humpback and could not determine whether the wounds were the results of bite marks.
Canadian shark researcher, Steven Campana, said it might be highly peculiar for a white shark to attack a full-grown and healthy adult whale.
Initially, Fulton thought the shark to be a basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), which can normally grow to lengths of over 25. That being said, after seeing photos of the shark taken by a traveller aboard the whale-watching boat, Fulton said it was "definitely a great white shark." Others aboard the ship reported that the shark had a white underside. While basking sharks don't characteristically have a white underside, white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) do. Fulton also added the pictures taken showed facial patterns and a dorsal fin indicative of a white shark.
The visitor who took the pictures of the animal guaranteed to provide Brier Island officials with a copy of a picture of the animal but has still to do so.
Adult white sharks are usually in the range of 13-17 in length, but reports of specimens reaching 20, though slightly rare, are not unheard of. A white shark exceeding 25 in length would be extremely outside of the ordinary size range of the species.
Reid Gillis, a skipper for one of the whale watching ships says he saw the animal breach three times, but he could not identify the species as a white shark. The shark was also blamed by some of the whale watchers for attacking a local humpback whale who was seen with "crescent-shaped" injuries. Gillis who saw the wounds on the whale noted that he didn't see the shark attack the humpback and could not determine whether the wounds were the results of bite marks.
Canadian shark researcher, Steven Campana, said it might be highly peculiar for a white shark to attack a full-grown and healthy adult whale.
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Earlier this month a small white shark was captured inadvertently in a fisherman's weir in the Bay of Fundy tides, putting an end to rumination the species are currently present in the Fundy area.
