Diver Hospitalised After White Shark Incident at Percé, Quebec

A scuba diver has been taken to hospital after an incident involving a white shark during a dive off Percé on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula.

The incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, September 16, during a diving activity in waters near Percé. Local operator Plongée Percé subsequently confirmed that a diver had been involved in an incident with a white shark and received first aid before being transported to hospital for further assessment. The operator later confirmed that the diver’s life was not in danger. 

Coast Guard Alerted Shortly After 10:27am

The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed to Global News that the Maritime Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Quebec was alerted at approximately 10:27am EDT.

According to the Coast Guard account, the diver had been aboard YODA, a private vessel which is also part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. Ambulance services were dispatched to meet the vessel when it returned to Percé. 

Local reporting indicates that the diver was participating in a group diving activity at a site known as Le Bilbo, within the marine area of Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé National Park. The diver was reportedly conscious when transported for medical treatment. 

TVA Nouvelles reported that the diver sustained significant injuries to the upper body, although this detail has not been released by Plongée Percé or the Coast Guard. The operator has asked that the diver’s privacy be respected and has not provided further information about the injuries or circumstances leading to the encounter. 

Diving Suspended For Remainder Of Season

Following the incident, Plongée Percé announced that its diving activities would be suspended for the remainder of the season as a precaution.

The company thanked the emergency teams involved in the response for their speed and professionalism.

The decision comes at the end of what is already a relatively short diving season in the region, but underlines the unusual nature of Wednesday’s incident.

White Sharks In The Gulf Of St. Lawrence

White sharks are present in Atlantic Canadian waters, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and sightings and detections have become increasingly documented in recent years.

Their presence does not, however, translate into frequent incidents involving people.

The Canadian Shark Attack Registry, maintained by the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory, records only a small number of confirmed shark-human incidents in Canadian waters over more than three centuries. Canadian Press reported that 30 incidents appear in the registry, of which 15 are classified as confirmed. 

Local Quebec reporting describes Wednesday’s incident as exceptionally rare and potentially the first incident of its kind reported around Percé. 

The increasing documentation of white sharks in Atlantic Canada is therefore important context, but there is currently no evidence suggesting that encounters of this type are becoming commonplace for scuba divers.

Circumstances Remain Unclear

Neither the operator nor authorities have released a detailed account of what happened immediately before the diver was bitten.

There is consequently no confirmed information about the diver’s depth, visibility, behaviour of the shark before the encounter, or how long the encounter lasted.

Those details matter when assessing shark-human incidents, and speculation about the cause of the encounter would be premature.

For now, authorities and the dive operator have confirmed the central facts: a diver was involved in an incident with a white shark off Percé, received immediate assistance and was transported to hospital, with their life subsequently confirmed to be out of danger. 

The Scuba News will update this story if further verified information becomes available.