Great white shark sighting takes N.B. town by surprise

CTV Atlantic: Great White spotting shocks people Spectators who saw and took picture of a Great White shark near St. Andrews, N.B. in shock but people who study sharks are not surprised.

A great white shark sighting has taken many Maritimers by surprise this week, but those who study sharks say such sightings are becoming more common.

The shark was seen and photographed near St. Andrews, N.B. during a whale watching exhibition. The video of the large great white taken during the tour has captured the imagination of many people in the seaside town.

Nicole Leavitt grew up in the area and now researches sharks in the Bay of Fundy. The marine biologist says sharks are more numerous than most people know.

“In the last few years, we have seen an increase in the number of shark sightings in our area,” says Leavitt. “Ranging from porbeagles, threshers, makos and even into the great white category. So it’s not surprising.”

With Saint Andrews already a focal point for the whale watching industry, it is likely sharks will now steal some of the limelight.

“It certainly is not going to hurt the tourism here. It’s not going to hurt the whale watching business that’s for sure,” says boater Karl Wilmot. “On a day like today, most of the boats are tied up because of the rain, but if the sun comes out, you can bet a lot more people will want to get on.”

“Sharks are in everyone’s conversation in Saint Andrews right now. Everyone has heard about this great white sighting and everyone is talking about it definitely,” says whale watching guide David Welch.

It is still rare for sharks, especially a great white, to be sighted by a whale watching group. However, experts say the shark was probably doing the same thing as the whales - looking for a natural source of food.

“We have a lot of food here for them. Our waters are very rich in fish and we have a lot of marine mammals as well like porpoises and seals and that kind of thing,” says Leavitt. “Porpoises, seals, whales, are all fantastic food sources for great white sharks.”

While the sighting may leave some swimmers and boaters nervous, Leavitt says sharks pose little threat to people enjoying the water.

“You’re more likely to get hit by a pop machine falling over then encounter a shark in the water. I would not hesitate for a moment to jump in the water and go for a swim.”