B.C. Scuba Divers Reach the "Pinnacle of Diving" After Seeing a Unique Shark Species

A group of B.C. divers were in luck this past week as they had an unlikely encounter with a bluntnose sixgill shark.

Scuba Diver in the Water / Unsplash

On Thursday of last week, Mitchell Hewitt, Steve LaRochelle, and Olivia Devenish set out for Kelvin Grove Beach Park in Lions Bay, B.C.

The ambitious divers planned to go diving at night in hopes of seeing the bluntnose sixgill shark. The team did not anticipate seeing one until later at night, if at all.

This particular species is named for its bluntly-pointed head shape and its 6 gill slits. They are known for living in exceptionally deep water, making it difficult for divers to spot this creature. Hewitt explained that in August and September, the bluntnose sixgill tends to move to shallow waters during the night. During the day, they can go to depths of 2,000 meters.

At approximately 7 p.m. on August 8, Hewitt, LaRochelle, and Devenish noticed the incredible creature swimming at a depth of 15 meters. Reaching roughly 2.5 meters long, the young male shark put on quite the show for the divers, eventually swimming between Hewitt's legs. For 10 minutes, the team was able to observe the shark as he swam around.

Hewitt described the shark as being a gentle giant and told CTV News, "You can hear that I'm breathing about as hard as a person can because I was freaking out." He explained that following the encounter, he felt as though he was on pins and needles for several hours. Hewitt was able to record his experience using an Olympus EM-1 Mark II camera and intends on sharing the footage with the public to allow them to explore the waters, too.

According to Divernet, in May of last year, 4 divers experienced a similar encounter with a 2 meter long bluntnose sixgill shark in a Pacific Ocean inlet in B.C. While spotting this species isn't unheard of, it is very rare.

"The bluntnose sixgill is kind of the pinnacle of what divers want to find in Howe Sound because they're so rare," Hewitt stated.

The divers remain excited about their once-in-a-lifetime sighting and stated, "It's a beautiful, docile shark." Hewitt reminded individuals that they do not need to be afraid of this species and shouldn't worry about a encountering this species while swimming.