If you catch a shark or skate while fishing or see one washed up on a beach, we want to hear from you! Here are some steps you can take quickly and with little equipment. Note if a beached shark is alive or shows any responsiveness - do NOT touch it. If you happen to catch the shark while fishing please take a photo and release the animal alive.
Essential information to record
- Record date, time and location including GPS coordinates (if possible)
- Length from tip of nose to tip of tail (use your foot length if no equipment is available)
- Behaviour - if alive what was it doing
- Sex – males have claspers
- Any marks, injuries or fishing gear that suggests how the animal may have died
Photograph details to take
- Whole animal, preferably the SIDE view (include hand or foot for scale)
- Underside of the head and under the pectoral fins
- Underside of the pelvic fins (verifies shark’s sex)
- Teeth, close-up (verifies species identification)
Over the last year we have received valuable sighting and behavioural information on sharks off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Information was gathered from local people, including sport fishers, whale watchers, beach combers and surfers. Reports include on-the-water sightings of eight Big Skates, 29 Blue Sharks, two Great White Sharks, three Sixgill Sharks, two Sevengill Sharks, 28 Spiny Dogfish and two Tope Sharks. Four beached juvenile Salmon Sharks were also reported from June to August If you have observed sharks in waters surrounding Vancouver Island or have questions about the project you can reach us at
shark_reports_bc@yahoo.ca.
Over the last year we have received valuable sighting and behavioural information on sharks off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Information was gathered from local people, including sport fishers, whale watchers, beach combers and surfers. Reports include on-the-water sightings of eight Big Skates, 29 Blue Sharks, two Great White Sharks, three Sixgill Sharks, two Sevengill Sharks, 28 Spiny Dogfish and two Tope Sharks. Four beached juvenile Salmon Sharks were also reported from June to August If you have observed sharks in waters surrounding Vancouver Island or have questions about the project you can reach us at shark_reports_bc@yahoo.ca. 
