Remains of large shortfin mako shark found in eastern Nova Scotia

Michael MacDonald · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 8:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

A marine carnal rescue radical has confirmed a uncommon but unfortunate find connected Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

The Halifax-based Marine Animal Response Society says the remains of a large shortfin mako shark — considered the fastest shark successful the water — were recovered Saturday on the shoreline adjacent Port Dufferin, N.S., astir 140 kilometres eastbound of Halifax.

Executive manager Tonya Wimmer said Monday it remains unclear however the 3.6-metre big pistillate died.

"It wasn't successful the top shape," Wimmer said successful an interview, adding that the carnal was excessively decomposed to let for a necropsy. "She apt would person been determination for a fewer days.… And determination wasn't thing connected the carnal externally to springiness america immoderate clues arsenic to wherefore it would beryllium successful this location."

It is antithetic to find this benignant of shark adjacent shore.

"They're usually offshore successful warmer waters successful the Gulf Stream, connected the banks," Wimmer said. "It is simply a precise uncommon happening for them to beryllium this adjacent to shore. But it has happened implicit the years."

'These are the fastest sharks that exist'

According to the national Fisheries Department, shortfin makos tin turn to 3.9 metres successful length and they tin aquatics astatine speeds reaching 68 kilometres per hour.

"It's an perfectly astonishing animal," Wimmer said. "These are the fastest sharks that exist. They are phenomenal … And they person these aerial displays astatine times erstwhile they'll leap retired of the water."

Makos person been known to leap arsenic precocious arsenic six metres supra the water.

As well, they predominant Browns Bank connected the continental support disconnected southwestern Nova Scotia, arsenic good arsenic the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They aquatics arsenic acold southbound arsenic Argentina.

And they person a peculiarly intimidating look.

"The teeth are slender and somewhat curved … and are disposable adjacent erstwhile the rima is closed, giving it a fearsome appearance," the Fisheries Department says connected its website. As for their colouring, the section says they person achromatic undersides and "metallic indigo blue" topsides.

Increase successful shark sightings

They chiefly devour squid, mackerel, tuna, bonitos and swordfish. But different sharks and porpoises are sometimes connected the menu.

"It is seldom encountered by swimmers oregon divers owed to its oceanic quality and should beryllium treated with respect and caution," the section says. "The mako has been known to onslaught boats connected juncture but astir of these attacks are usually linked to being hooked by crippled fishers and are considered abnormal behaviour."

Little other is known astir this elusive species, which was designated arsenic endangered successful 2019 by the autarkic Committee connected the Status of Endangered Wildlife successful Canada. The mako colonisation is chiefly threatened by longline fisheries that are trying to drawback different fish.

In caller years, determination has been an summation successful shark sightings on Canada's East Coast, with reports of large achromatic sharks getting astir of the attention. Last July, the Ocean Tracking Network astatine Dalhousie University successful Halifax confirmed it was moving connected a program to station informing signs for beachgoers for the archetypal time.

Experts accidental conservation measures had helped the large achromatic shark colonisation retrieve from a drastic diminution successful the 1970s and 1980s. As well, they said clime alteration had led to warmer water temperatures, making it easier for galore water taxon to dispersed northward.

But Wimmer said it's excessively aboriginal to archer what is happening with the makos.

Past mako encounters successful N.S.

"Climate alteration is affecting a batch of the marine animals successful our ocean. We've seen it with whales, we've seen it with different species.… [But] we don't person a batch of accusation connected makos. It is thing inactive to beryllium determined."

In 2002, respective makos were caught during a shark sportfishing derby 16 kilometres from Halifax harbour. Two years later, a monolithic 490-kilogram mako was landed successful Yarmouth, N.S., wherever it was hauled distant with a forklift, its gaping jaws showing rows of hooked teeth.

Still, makos are seldom recovered successful waters colder than 16 C, experts say.