Video shows dive encounter with ‘extremely elusive’ shark off British Columbia

A group of divers had the unique opportunity to swim with an “extremely elusive” shark off the southern coast of British Columbia this week, an incredible encounter that was captured on video.

The juvenile bluntnose sixgill shark was spotted Thursday evening near Lions Bay, just north of Vancouver, at a depth of about 15 metres.

For avid diver Mitchell Hewitt it was a dream come true.

“The bluntnose sixgill shark is one of the most sought-after species in Howe Sound because they are so rare,” said Hewitt, a marine biologist with consulting firm Keystone Environmental.

“We got to spend about 10 minutes with the shark – it was amazing.”

Hewitt said the creatures are typically found at depths of 550 to 7,000 feet (168 to 2,100 meters) below the surface, but juveniles occasionally venture into shallower waters.

Finding them isn’t easy, though. Hewitt said he goes diving every day during the summer hoping to catch a glimpse.

On a good day, divers in this area might spot a giant Pacific octopus or a spiny lumpfish, but more often they are treated to sightings of ling and jellyfish.

Hewitt described Thursday’s encounter with the shark as a potentially once-in-a-lifetime event, with the snub-nosed shark even briefly swimming between his legs.

“It was just a gentle giant, kind of a big seal,” he said.

While divers typically try to remain calm underwater for safety reasons, Hewitt struggled to contain his excitement – ​​as you can hear in his footage, captured on an Olympus EM-1 Mark II camera.

“You can hear me breathing as hard as a human can because I was in a complete panic,” he said. “I was sitting on hot coals for hours afterward.”

Hewitt’s work sometimes involves rebuilding degraded reefs and sand flats, or conducting “bioinventory,” the process of cataloging species in a particular area.

He told CTV News he wanted to share his encounter with the shark to show people what impressive creatures lurk not far from home.

“It’s just a great opportunity for the public to see what’s out there in the waters near us,” he said.

Hewitt also stressed that swimmers shouldn’t worry about encountering a snubnose in English Bay or Kitsilano Beach. Not only would it be extremely unlikely to spot one of the sharks so close to shore, there has reportedly only been one recorded snubnose attack on a human since the 1500s.

“I don’t want people to be scared by this,” Hewitt said. “It’s a beautiful, tame shark.”