A massive great white shark, measuring roughly 10 feet 2 inches and weighing about 729 pounds, was recently detected in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The animal, identified as “Bella,” was first tagged and released on 18 July 2025 in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. The satellite tag transmitted its last signal on 6 July at 10:51 a.m., confirming its presence near the northern edge of the Quebec archipelago.
The tagging program aims to map migration routes, behavior, and seasonal feeding patterns of great white sharks in Atlantic Canada. Researchers have observed that rising summer temperatures are prompting these apex predators to travel farther north.
Bella’s recorded journey began off Cape Cod, continued through the Gulf of Maine, along the Nova Scotia coast, past Prince Edward Island, and onward to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The name “Bella,” meaning “beautiful” in Italian, honors a program supporter.
The sighting aligns with a broader trend of great white sharks becoming regular seasonal visitors to the region. A healthy seal population in the Gulf provides an attractive food source during the summer months.
Authorities advise swimmers to exercise caution: avoid murky water, refrain from swimming at dawn or dusk, and stay clear of areas where seals congregate.
Shark encounters in Canada remain exceedingly rare, with only fifteen confirmed attacks recorded over the past 330 years and a single fatality in 1953 involving a fisherman whose boat was struck.
