A basking shark has washed up in Grand Manan. Experts say it is a rarity in winter
CBC
An unusual find on the southeast shore of Grand Manan Island is attracting the attention of locals and visitors.
A 7.6-metre basking shark washed up on the island's shore earlier this month.
Island resident Debbie Bath first came across the carcass while out for her evening walk.
"Just very surprised," said Bath of her reaction. "We didn't realize what it was until we got up to it and then it was the initial, 'Wow, this is a very large fish.'"
Filmmaker Catherine D'Aoust, who was on the island making a documentary, said she was unprepared for the size of the shark.
"It looks like a boulder on the beach," said D'Aoust. "Didn't look like a shark from 20 feet away."
Photographer Gary Weekes, who is working with D'Aoust, was also impressed by the sight of the animal.
Originally from London, England, he'd never seen a shark up close before. "When I heard about this … I thought it would be essential that we took time out [to see the shark]."
While the breed of shark isn't a rarity in the Bay of Fundy, it's unusual for the animal to be in the area in the winter, experts say.
"They're usually here through the summer and fall months, so February is a little bit late for them to be here in this area," said Nicole Leavitt, senior marine biologist for St. Andrew's Sport Fishing Co. and Island Quest Whale Watching.
Andrew Westgate, senior scientist with the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, said: "I've never heard of a basking shark washing up in the winter time."
Westgate said he can't say why the shark was in the area in February without an examination. But he said the shark appears to have been underfed, which could indicate a larger issue.
"[It could] indicate that the shark … basically starved to death," said Westgate.
Leavitt said if anyone encounters a beached shark, they should contact the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
When Stephanie Gamble watched her mother model the first dress she made, smiling wide and walking an imaginary runway, she knew that was what she wanted to keep doing in her life.
'Tis the season for cuddling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching holiday movies. And for people in B.C.'s Interior, that can increasingly mean seeing their home communities on display.
Every year, snowy owls spread their wings and migrate down to the Prairies, where they enjoy access to plenty of rodent prey in vast open spaces.
This month has been a busy stretch at the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.
N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland says she has received the final report from an independent investigation into education bodies in the Dehcho region.
P.E.I.’s auditor general says he’s concerned and disappointed that the projected deficit has doubled what government initially estimated it would be — and he's urging the province to balance its budget.
A man found not criminally responsible for stabbing five people to death at a Calgary house party is getting more freedoms but not an absolute discharge.
A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Toronto mother outside a supervised consumption site in Leslieville.
Russian olive trees — sometimes known as silver berry or oleaster — are small, ornamental plants with silvery leaves and black bark, and small yellow flowers and silver fruit that look like miniature olives. They’re pretty, but they’re a problem.
The Yukon Legislative Assembly’s fall sitting ended on Thursday after the territorial government introduced and passed a supplementary budget.
A Canadian military counter-intelligence operative, who stands accused of passing sensitive information to Ukraine, was involved in an investigation into allegations that a leading Canadian defence journalist was a longtime Russian asset.
An Alberta panel aimed at finding ways the province can strengthen its autonomy has offered up seven recommendations, including options for referendum topics.
People won't be able to travel along B.C.'s Highway 3 without significant delays and detours over the holiday season, says the Ministry of Transportation.