Assessment: The Sea Wolf Island National Wildlife Area is home to a sizeable seal population, which may explain the shark’s presence at the time of the incident. Aquatic activities are considered risky at any location in proximity to seal haul-out sites or rookeries. If the attacker was indeed a white shark, it may have believed it was biting or slashing a competitor (for nearby prey), or it may have mistaken the swimmer for a seal and taken an exploratory bite. Immature white sharks, which are known to frequent the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the summer and fall and whose visual skills are still developing, may be more prone³ to mistakenly bite objects or people resembling their prey, especially pinnipeds. Analysis of the wound would have helped determine the potential cause. It is nonetheless our determination that the white shark hypothesis is highly probable based on the dorsal fin sightings, the location and time of the incident, the verified presence of tagged white sharks nearby, the close proximity to a feeding area, as well as the nature of the attack itself.

Note: Although plausible, no one involved in the incident has publicly come forward with any evidence proving the shark hypothesis as of July 25, 2022.

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References:
¹ Woman badly injured in apparent N.S. shark attack. The National Post. 14.08.2021. Online.
² Shark expert believes recent incident may have involved white shark. The Port Hawkesbury Reporter. 23.08.2021. Online.
³ Ryan LA et al. 2021. A shark’s eye view: testing the ‘mistaken identity theory’ behind shark bites on humans. J. R. Soc. Interface 18: 20210533. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2021.0533