Great white sharks in the pacific N.W., British Columbia??

[TinoD'Voe]

I commonly hear people mention around here that one thing they like about diving in BC is that there are no big sharks. I've seen online somewhere that the great white has been spotted all the way to Alaska and there has even been video documented where orcas were attacking a great white close to vancouver island! I'm wondering if any shark experts could comment on this and if they do indeed live this far north. Is there a reason why these sharks are seen so commonly in shallow warm waters but not in the colder climates?

 

[welder]

Yes they do. If you look up records there have been over 30 sightings in the Queen Charlotte Islands areas over the last 30 years. (Live sightings as well as washed up carcasses.). There have also been great whites caught off Vancouver island although rare they do migrate often through the area of our waters. Makes you wonder what all the Whiterock swimmers are thinking hey?

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

White sharks, like many species of sharks, will migrate with food sources. We have seen many White Sharks off the East Coast of the US as they follow the Right Whale pods. You will also see them follow other large fish migrations, turtles, and seals. Depending on how warm the waters and the times of year, you may see them farther North than you may expect.

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[Bill Fisher]

LIVES4SHARKS,

You have seen many GW's on the East Coast ???
WOW..where did you see them?

 

[Louie]

Wow! Somebody diving or boating off Vancouver Island may be in for a surprise.

So how cold is too cold for a Great White? I've read 10 C or thereabouts is tolerable for them.

 

[Wick]

When I did my first ocean dive about 3 years ago, it was about an hour north of Myrtle Beach. The same day I dove a baby Great White was spotted by a fishing boat in the area. It was also spotted twice later in the week. Though not common, they can show up anywhere.

 

[skimphish]

Wow! Somebody diving or boating off Vancouver Island may be in for a surprise.

So how cold is too cold for a Great White? I've read 10 C or thereabouts is tolerable for them.

well they have been recorded down at almost 1 mile deep. so id say they can probably do 10 C or even less.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Bill, we had quite a few spotted off Jacksonville, and we caught a sight of one off Gray's Reef on our surface interval. I was hoping to see it on my second dive so I could get more information, but was not lucky enough to get a close up. Wasn't able to tell if it was male or female, and was hoping for a pass by during my dive. No such luck. Again, the right whales attract them since they in early summer have delivered young.

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[Bill Fisher]

Cool info.
I would love to see one naturally like that.
I know they are occasionally spotted around NC, and there was also one
that washed up near Narragansett, R.I. back in June. They believe it was the same one that was accidently caught the day before then released. Also, remember the one that washed up on Grand Bahama a few years ago ?

 

[Crowley]

Great Whites are able to partially generate / preserve some of their own body heat which allows them to roam through colder waters than some other big sharks which rely on the ambient water temperature to keep them going (many sharks, like many fish, are poikilothermic, which means their body temperature matches the surrounding water). Great Whites, being somewhat of an evolutionary anomoly, have this added advantage over other large predatory sharks such as the Tiger Shark or the Oceanic White Tip. The colder nothern waters are home to fat blubbery seals, the Great White's favourite snack, so this ability comes in handy. Because they are not truly warm blooded, warm water would be a lot more comfortable I imagine....

As always, feel free to correct my science - I'm not an expert, just a very interested dive instructor who desparately wants to see one!

C.