A seven-year-old boy was on a school field trip to the ocean when he scooped up an unusual object in his fishing net.
William Freeborn, 7, was 'just going through the water' at Coles Bay Regional Park on Vancouver Island on June 16 when he scooped 'it' up.
At first, he wasn't sure what 'it' was but ran to a friend to show him his discovery.
"I saw this orange tooth-looking thing," he told Glacier Media, describing the object's serrated edges on one end and its smoothness on the other. "I thought it was some sort of fish."
Fascinated by the object he found, he put it in his pocket and told his parents later on what he found.
The bright orange object Freeborn found is believed to be a shark's tooth, according to Jackie King, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientist specializing in sharks.
"It is a shark tooth, but does not appear to be one from the B.C. or California coast," says King.
William's mother, Niki Bresser, was amazed at what her son found but not surprised that he would discover an object in the water.
"Will is one of the most phenomenal naturalists I've ever met and is also a huge fan of sharks," says Bresser, noting her son aspires to be a marine biologist when he grows up.
Since finding the tooth, the family started researching what type it could be.
"Will really thinks it's a cookiecutter shark, which is one of his favourite sharks," says Bresser.
He's keeping it safe for now, but if it turns out to be rare or has a significant meaning, the family has a plan.
"Will and I both agree that if it is something rare and important, then we should turn it over to the museum because it's important for everyone to enjoy it," she says.
His teachers and principal at Deep Cove Elementary School have also been notified about the discovery.
"It's such a great celebration for the whole entire school to see something really neat on one of their field trips," she says.
During COVID-19, the children and parents couldn't gather together, so this was one of his first field trips.
"I think this is the coolest thing I've ever found," he says with a smile.
