Great white shark ‘pinged’ off the coast of Vancouver Island

Dr. Michael Domeier, director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, told Global News that they tag the adult females as they are the most interesting.

Researchers confirm a great white shark was in the waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, but experts say it is not as unusual as you might think.

The shark, named Kara, is around five metres in length and weighs about 1,000 kg.

She was one of six sharks fitted with a tracking device last October in California.

Dr. Michael Domeier, director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, told Global News that they tag the adult females as they are the most interesting.

“They have a two-year migration cycle because they give birth every two years and then in that off year, they spend it entirely offshore in the deep ocean, it’s going as far as Hawaii,” he said.

“So, Kara, that’s the name of the shark that we’re tracking now that ventured as far as Vancouver Island, she was tagged in October and I do expect her to be venturing offshore quite soon if in fact she’s pregnant.

“In the last day or so, she’s drifted back south. She’s now closer to Tacoma. She’s off of Washington state. She’s no longer right off your shore.”

Domeier said it is a little unusual to have a shark’s tracking device ‘ping’ so far north, but it may become more common as sharks are creatures of habit and tend to travel to the same waters.