CANADIAN SHARK ATTACK REGISTRY

White shark attacks fishing gear in Esperanza Inlet

Case number: 18
Date: 1961-08-17
Location: Esperanza Inlet, British Columbia
Incident type: Attack on inanimate object — Code: PRE
Species: White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Possible cause(s): Food in water (Provoked)
Result: Fishing gear destroyed
Status: Confirmed¹
Description: Greg Trenholme observed a 4- to 6-m white shark swimming at the surface astern of his boat while fishing for salmon. The shark repeatedly bit one of the fisherman’s canvas bags before releasing it and diving out of sight. Analysis of a recovered tooth and fragments identified the shark species as Carcharodon carcharias.

Assessment: Stimulated by blood and animals in distress, multiple shark species the world over frequently attack fishing gear laden with fish, as well as fish or mammals being reeled in or brought alongside a vessel.

Note: 39 years separate this incident from the next (Case #19 in 2000).

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References:
¹ R. S. Collier, M. A. Marks, and R. W. Warner. (1996). White shark attacks on inanimate objects along the Pacific coast of North America, in Great White Shark: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias, A. Klimley and D. G. Ainley, Eds., pp. 217–222, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif, USA.
(Background) White shark at the surface by Bernard Dupont (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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Misrepresented and misunderstood, sharks play a critical role in North Atlantic ecosystems, but they are under increasing threat due to their unfair reputation, pollution, and a lack of public awareness. Please donate to help us study and protect the sharks of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Canada before it’s too late.Donations to ORS, an all-volunteer charitable not-for-profit organisation, are tax deductible in Canada. Canada Revenue Agency #834462913RR0001

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“Fear and indifference bite deeper than any shark.”— Jeffrey Gallant, St. Lawrence Shark ObservatoryTax deductible in Canada
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Misrepresented and misunderstood, sharks play a critical role in North Atlantic ecosystems, but they are under increasing threat due to their unfair reputation, pollution, and a lack of public awareness. Please donate to help us study and protect the sharks of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Canada before it’s too late.Donations to ORS, an all-volunteer charitable not-for-profit organisation, are tax deductible in Canada. Canada Revenue Agency #834462913RR0001

DONATE

“Fear and indifference bite deeper than any shark.”— Jeffrey Gallant, St. Lawrence Shark ObservatoryTax deductible in Canada
CRA #834462913RR0001DONATE