Brion Island, September 20-24, 2022 — We spent our first day at sea—which incidentally was the only fair weathered half-day of the expedition—south of Brion Island, but it was spectacular. Within a period of only two hours, we observed a white shark attacking a seal, and detected three other white sharks using an acoustic hydrophone. We also observed many seal carcasses resulting from white shark attacks, as well as the unusual behaviour of seals swimming along the island. In just a few hours, we achieved the main objective of the expedition, which was to establish the relevance and feasibility of our long-term study program on the white shark in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Due to strong winds, we then had to take refuge for three days on the north side of Brion Island, where there were visibly fewer seals… and sharks.

⚠️ Notice to recreational divers and boaters: Brion22 is a scientific expedition conducted under licence from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). It is strictly forbidden to conduct cage diving operations or to interact with the white shark without a scientific permit under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). SARA prohibits the killing, harming, harassing, capturing, taking, possessing, collecting, buying, selling or trading of individuals of endangered, threatened or extirpated species, including the white shark (Atlantic population), which is designated as an endangered species. Furthermore, and as stipulated by the Quebec National Heritage Conservation Act (LCPN), access to Île-Brion Ecological Reserve is also strictly forbidden without a permit for scientific research from the ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC).

DFO (SARA) Scientific Permit No.:
QUE-LEP-014-2022
MELCC (LCPN) Scientific Permit No.:
3850-RE-R; 5141-03-11 [1.2]
⚠️ No sharks are captured or restrained in any way.