Have you ever seen a great white shark up close and personal?
Most people who get near the apex predators typically do so from the safety of a cage; they aren't considered a safe species to interact with (although it isn't the most aggressive one).
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) currently lists 13 (possibly 14) sharks inhabiting B.C. waters. Seven species are considered common, while the rest are rarely spotted.
The iconic great whites don't appear on the local list but that could change in the future.
Daniel Pauly, principal investigator of the University of British Columbia's (UBC) Sea Around Us initiative, says global warming has caused a significant shift in local oceans, resulting in fish typically found in warmer waters making their way north.
"In B.C. we are getting all kinds of animals in summer that only occurred in California, including the giant squid," he tells V.I.A., noting that increasing numbers of the massive cephalopods have started washing up on the island each year.
"Climate change tends to migrate toward the pole," he adds.
Great whites can thrive in cooler waters than other predatory sharks
Great white sharks are known for their imposing stature, fearsome mouths, and sometimes deadly run-ins with surfers. However, they aren't something most Metro Vancouver residents need to fear unless they take a holiday somewhere the sharks are commonly found.
Great whites have been spotted along the Pacific Northwest in British Columbia but sightings are rare. So few have been reported that they aren't included in the DFO's Sharks of B.C. guide.
Pauly says Canada's west coast should continue seeing increased numbers of sharks migrating up from southern waters.
"It is a local realization of a global trend," he highlights.
Great whites enjoy warmer waters and hunt in shallow waters where their common prey, including seals, sea turtles, sea lions, dolphins, and other aquatic animals, thrive.
But white sharks have a special adaptation that allows them to be active in water that may be too cold for other predatory sharks.
While most fish are cold-blooded, great whites have a circulatory system that conserves heat when they contract their swimming muscles. The heat created from this process circulates through their body and warms critical regions.
This cold-water adaptation gives white sharks an edge over other sharks that can't handle colder waters and explains why they've started showing up on Canadian shores.
White sharks also don't thrive in significantly warmer waters because they have trouble regulating their body temperature, which could mean increasing numbers travel to local waters as ocean temperatures rise.
Pauly notes that several aquatic species native to B.C. have also started moving toward Alaska as part of the gradual shift north. Turtles from Florida have also made their way up from Florida to Newfoundland.
When will great whites start to appear frequently in Vancouver waters?
Pauly underscores that no one can say exactly when the colossal predators will start to turn up regularly off the coast of B.C. but it will be "quite bad when they do."
Great whites are responsible for some gruesome injuries to humans, sometimes resulting in deaths. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been 215 shark incidents in the state since 1950 involving all shark species, and at least 188 involved white sharks.
While these statistics seem alarming, conservationists underscore shark attacks are relatively rare. Also, great whites may not see humans as prey when they come in contact with them, even if they bite them.
The large sharks see as well as humans do below the water (and in colour), and they investigate foreign objects with their teeth the way humans use their hands. They take bites out of buoys, boats, kayaks, surfboards, and other non-living objects the same way they've taken unfortunate snaps at humans, according to National Geographic.
"In a few instances, they mistake surfers for prey," Pauly notes.
"And they will eventually reach B.C."
