Great White Sharks Washing Up In Canada Is A Positive Sign For Their Population, Says Experts (2024)

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Great White Sharks Washing Up In Canada Is A Positive Sign For Their Population, Says Experts? ›

A record number of great white sharks have washed up in Canada over the past year. But perhaps surprisingly, this spate of dead shark reports may actually be a good sign for the local great white population, experts say.

Four of the great white sharks were found in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island (Márquez). The most recent sighting was of the shark found in Cape Breton, it is one of the largest discoveries as well (CBC News, 2023). The resurgence of the population is a welcome sight.

Great white sharks are considered a vulnerable species around the world, but in Canada, they're actually endangered. As a population, they're extremely difficult to study and monitor because they are mostly solitary and can migrate thousands of kilometres.

The main reason for these strandings, when they do occur, is illness or injury. This can cause sharks to become disoriented and unable to make their way back to shore.

Sharks are tagged and the movements are tracked by satellite. This information on their behavior will help with a management plan for the protected area where they are found (Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve), such as how to protect them from bycatch and to regulate tourism.

(Cape Cod may have the highest density of great white sharks in the world.) Depending on their size and age, great white sharks target crustaceans, mollusks, sea birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, dolphins, and even some whales.

Where are Great White Sharks? Great white sharks are globally distributed with concentrations near South Africa, Australia/New Zealand, the North Atlantic, and Northeastern Pacific.

It has long been believed great white sharks aren't friendly, even to each other, but new research suggests some actually have best friends. Satellite tracking has revealed some have the suspicious habit of following each other around, according to OCEARCH researchers.

But despite its fearsome reputation, its large size and low productivity (reproductive rates, growth rates, age at maturity, longevity, etc.) make the white shark vulnerable to declines from human impacts. Due to these natural vulnerabilities, the white shark is one of the most widely protected sharks globally.

It has only one recorded natural predator, the orca. The species faces numerous ecological challenges which has resulted in international protection.

Did they find a pregnant great white shark that washed up? ›

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A pregnant great white shark washed ashore on a Florida beach on Friday, according to Navarre Beach Fire Rescue. Crews removed the pregnant shark, which was roughly 13 to 15 feet in length after it was found dead on the shoreline.

A great white shark was discovered after it washed up along the shore at Navarre Beach Friday morning. The Navarre Beach Fire Rescue confirmed on Facebook that it was working with crews to remove the deceased, pregnant shark, estimated to be between 13 and 15 feet long and 1,500 pounds.

While there are plenty of videos online showing people swimming with great whites without a cage, these are usually experienced biologists and divers, and it's dangerous to think that you could do the same. These animals can easily lash out without provocation, and the results can be fatal.

As a top predator, the great white shark plays a very important role in maintaining balance in its ecosystem. If sharks were to be removed from their habitat, prey species' numbers would rise and competition for food would increase to an unsustainable level.

Globally it has been estimated that all white sharks number around 3000-5000, with perhaps 1500 in our population in the Northeast Pacific. At any one point there may be only a score or so of these adult sharks around the feeding areas, which is not many and makes them vulnerable to habitat loss, pollution or poaching.

Great whites play a special role in the ocean as a top predator by keeping prey populations such as elephant seals and sea lions in balance. The presence of great white sharks ultimately increases species stability and the diversity of the ocean.

Threats in Canada

Roughly a quarter of all shark, skate and ray species globally are threatened with extinction. In Canada, and globally, the number one threat to sharks is overfishing, which means fishing a species or population faster than it can be replenished.

Gansbaai, South Africa

The Western Cape of South Africa, where the fishing town of Gansbaai is located, has become a popular tourist spot for people hoping to cage-dive with the plentiful Great White sharks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chapman and McPhee also identified South Africa as a hotspot for unprovoked bites.

Additionally, there have been reports of white shark sightings in the waters of British Columbia along the Pacific coast. While sightings of great white sharks in Canada are relatively rare, they do occur.

According to a post by the Marine Animal Response Society(opens in a new tab) (MARS), a live male great white shark was reported on Greenwich Beach. The animal, which ultimately died on the beach, was documented by Parks Canada staff at Greenwich National Park and transported to Charlottetown for necropsy.