Earlier this week, reader Kate White sent this photo to Vancouver is Awesome. It was shot on June 18 at the foot of Bayswater Street, a few blocks west of Kits Beach. It’s an actual shark.
White said she “wondered if it was not where it was supposed to be because the waters are getting warmer.”
Lee Newman, Vancouver Aquarium’s curator of fishes, says that while it’s hard to tell from the photo, it’s likely a Pacific spiny dogfish variety of shark.
This species is seen in shallow waters like this rather infrequently, so the animal was either hunting or in distress.
They grow to up to 130 centimetres in length and can live 100 years, but they’re not known as a threat to humans. This thing would never attack you. You’re safe in Vancouver’s waters.
Historically, they’re one of the most abundant shark species in the world, though populations have declined due to overfishing.
You can actually see one on display at the Vancouver Aquarium, and in February a rescued one was released back into the wild.
If you want to learn about the other seven species of sharks that live in this part of the world, check out 8 sharks you didn’t know lived in B.C. waters.
