{"id":899702,"date":"2026-09-17T22:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T22:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/899702\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T22:34:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T22:34:16","slug":"great-white-shark-attacks-diver-off-quebecs-gaspe-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/899702\/","title":{"rendered":"Great White Shark Attacks Diver Off Quebec\u2019s Gasp\u00e9 Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

A great white shark has attacked a diver off Quebec\u2019s Gasp\u00e9 coast, sending the person to hospital in a rare and startling encounter off Perc\u00e9.<\/p>\n

According to a report by the CBC, the incident happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that a diver aboard the vessel YODA had been bitten by a shark. Paramedics met the vessel when it returned to Perc\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Read more: A nearly 9-foot white shark is closing in on Baie-Comeau<\/a><\/p>\n

Plong\u00e9e Perc\u00e9, the local diving centre involved in the incident, said emergency response measures were activated immediately. The diver received first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further evaluation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Shark\"
\nPhotograph: Shutterstock \/ Joe BelangerA great white shark swimming <\/p>\n

Are there great white sharks in Canadian waters?<\/p>\n

The incident has sent a shock through one of Quebec\u2019s best-known diving destinations\u2014and comes as great white shark sightings and detections have become increasingly common in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and across Atlantic Canada.<\/p>\n

Check out: The Gulf of St. Lawrence is now home to six tracked sharks<\/a><\/p>\n

As a precaution, Plong\u00e9e Perc\u00e9 has suspended all diving activities for the remainder of the season.<\/p>\n

The attack comes amid a growing number of great white shark sightings<\/a> in and around the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including off Quebec\u2019s Gasp\u00e9 Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands.<\/p>\n

\"Great
\nPhotograph: Shutterstock \/ Martin ProchazkaczGreat white shark <\/p>\n

What month are sharks most active?<\/p>\n

Shark activity changes throughout the year, depending on the region. According to data from the OCEARCH Global Tracker, great white sharks are most active in northern feeding grounds such as Cape Cod during August, September and October, before moving toward southern winter habitats like the Gulf of Mexico from January to April.<\/p>\n

Curious about where sharks are right now?\u00a0Explore the OCEARCH Global Tracker here<\/a> to follow their movements in real time.<\/p>\n

Several great whites have been tracked in the region by OCEARCH, a global nonprofit research organization that studies sharks. The recent increase in sightings has drawn attention to the species\u2019 growing presence in Atlantic Canadian waters, although encounters with humans remain exceptionally rare.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Canadian Shark Attack Registry contains 30 reported incidents dating back more than three centuries, with only 15 considered confirmed.<\/p>\n

The return of great white sharks to these waters is also being viewed through an ecological lens. OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer has previously described increased great white populations as a sign of healthier ocean ecosystems, noting the predators\u2019 role in the marine food chain.<\/p>\n

For now, however, the focus in Perc\u00e9 remains on the diver\u2019s recovery\u2014and on what this highly unusual encounter means for diving along Quebec\u2019s Gasp\u00e9 coast.<\/p>\n

For more information about the CBC report, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The photos are provided for illustrative purposes only.<\/p>\n

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