Shark sighting prompts beach closure in P.E.I.

WEST POINT, P.E.I. — A shark sighting close to West Level, P.E.I., prompted a seaside closure early this week. 

On Aug. 8 at roughly 10:45 a.m., a fin was noticed by lifeguards simply exterior of the supervised swimming space at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park in Prince County. 

The seaside was instantly closed by the lifeguards on responsibility, who noticed two different fins shut by. 

There have been about 5 folks within the swimming space when the seaside was closed. Nobody was harmed. 

Matthew Smith, provincial lifeguard co-ordinator for P.E.I., mentioned the group took the right precautions when a dorsal fin is noticed. 

“The on-duty lifeguards erred on the aspect of warning, cleared the water and didn’t resume till the subsequent day and prohibited swimming for the remainder of the day,” Smith informed SaltWire Community in a cellphone interview on Aug. 10. 

“It was early within the day, so fortunately there weren’t many individuals.” 

That is the primary time Smith has heard of a number of shark sightings at Cedar Dunes.

As a result of the sharks had been far sufficient from shore, the lifeguards on responsibility had been unable to find out if the sharks had been a direct menace. 

“The fins didn’t come shut sufficient to shore to find out what breed of shark it was,” he mentioned. 

Shark sightings have been rising within the Gulf of St. Lawrence in recent times.

The most typical sharks seen close to P.E.I. coastlines are basking sharks and white sharks, mentioned Heather Bowlby, analysis lead on the Canadian Atlantic Shark Analysis Laboratory on the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.

The sharks sighted had been seemingly not tagged, prompting the lack of know-how they had been within the space, she mentioned in a cellphone interview with SaltWire Community on Aug. 10. 

“Tags are usually mounted on the dorsal fin, so it’s extra apparent when they’re seen,” mentioned Bowlby. 

As a result of three separate fins had been noticed in a small space, it’s seemingly the sharks had been basking sharks – who are inclined to journey extra in packs, versus white sharks, who normally hunt alone. 

Basking sharks are filter feeders, which means they solely eat shrimp, plankton and different crustaceans and aren’t any hazard to people.

Nevertheless, the dorsal fins on basking sharks look fairly much like these on white sharks, which regularly prompts folks to needlessly panic.

They’re additionally extra prone to transfer slowly – one other indicator the sightings had been basking sharks, as they didn’t seem like transferring rapidly.

“Basking sharks typically do come pretty near shore. It sounds to me like they had been simply transitting the realm,” mentioned Bowlby. 

Do you know?

• The basking shark is the second-largest residing shark and fish, after the whale shark, and one among three plankton-eating shark species. 

• Much like whale sharks, basking sharks feed with their mouths vast open and don’t have any sharp enamel for biting. 

• Basking shark inhabitants estimates in Canadian waters might quantity between 4,918 and 10,125 based on a survey by the Committee on the Standing of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 

Staying calm throughout a shark sighting is essential, mentioned Smith.

“Calmly get out the water, and there must be no points,” he mentioned, including that it’s additionally necessary to all the time verify on-line seaside studies to see what the surf situations are like and if the seaside is being supervised.

The seaside was deemed secure for swimmers on Aug. 9. 

Shark sightings must be reported to Canadian Atlantic Shark Analysis Laboratory at [email protected] or by cellphone at 1-844-400-7870.

Rafe Wright is a Native Journalism Initiative reporter, a place lined by the federal authorities.