Massive fin sighting sparks shark fears at Nova Scotia beach

Shark sightings are rare, but beachgoers are still encouraged to be shark smart.

Queensland, N.S. — Wednesday morning was sunny and hot at Queensland Beach, which made for perfect Nova Scotia summer weather, when beachgoer Grant Wilkinson looked up and spotted a huge fin in the water.

“It came up, out of the water approximately two feet,” said Wilkinson, who is vacationing from Ontario. “The lifeguards came and asked everyone to get out of the water and stay out of the water for a while.”

Closing the beach was standard procedure, considering sharks are known to enter the North Atlantic waters. There were concerns the fin represented the latest chapter in shark sightings along the Nova Scotia coast.

“We usually close the beach for a couple of hours to keep an eye on it,” said N.S. Lifeguard Service Director Paul D’Eon. “If we see nothing else, we open the beach.”

Possible shark sightings and run-ins with oversized fish are nothing new in the ocean waters off Nova Scotia. On Canada Day, Nichole Elizabeth was fishing near Queensland Beach when she spotted a huge fish off the port side of her boat.

“We motored over to take a closer look,” said Elizabeth, who thought it was a shark at first glance. “But sure enough, it was a large sunfish having a leisurely swim, as I understand they do near the surface.”

Determining the species the massive fin belongs to is a tough task, especially for non-marine experts. However, shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag believes shark fears are slightly overstated.

“Sharks help control and keep balance in the ocean and keep it healthy, so that’s a good thing,” said Hammerschlag. “But sharks generally don’t want to have anything to do with people.”

In the off chance anyone encounters a real shark at the beach, D’Eon says there are three basic tips to keep in mind.

“Always swim in supervised areas, stay safe and listen to the lifeguards.”

According to the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service, last year there were as many as four reported fin sightings that could have been sharks. This was the first reported sighting of 2025.