“Yes, it was big.” I will never forget these words uttered by my colleague in a monotone somewhere between Twiki and HAL 9000’s. I could scarcely believe the lack of excitement in her tone, as she responded to my question about whether or not she had seen… It. I’m talking about the REALLY big shark my two dive buddies and I had just seen on a pristine dive at Flora Islet off Hornby Island, B.C. in 1995 or so.
Sixgill sharks, or more specifically, the bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus Griseus) is really cool. First of all, this primitive shark is found in all the world’s oceans, usually in very deep (300-6000+ feet) water. Among their defining physical characteristics are large eyes adapted for the low light conditions found at great depth, one small dorsal fin located towards their tail fin, six gill slits (most sharks have only five) and their size. They have been known to grow to more than 18 feet in length.
For some reason these sharks have been performing seasonal vertical migrations in certain parts of the world which can bring them into contact with recreational scuba divers at shallow (for the shark) depths around 100 feet. In BC, in addition to Hornby’s Flora Islet, they have been regularly spotted in the waters near Victoria and also in Barkely Sound. Other parts of the world where they are routinely sighted by recreational divers include Puget Sound, Washington; Monterey Canyon, California; and certain Norwegian fjords. Needless to say, a sixgill sighting is a fine addition to any diver’s log book and little can compare with the feeling of spotting at a distance or (even better) swimming alongside one of these ancient creatures.
Perhaps the most tension-filled part of a sixgill dive is before you even see the shark, however. Imagine gently finning along a tiered wall around 100 feet in dark emerald green water, trying to look everywhere at once to spot your dive’s objective. Chances are fair (I’m 3 for 7 at Flora myself) but there are no guarantees. It is difficult to remain calm and keep one’s breathing rate slow and steady as you scan the gloom for the glow of an eye picked up by your dive light or a dark shadow languidly swimming below you. All the anxiety is forgotten when the payoff swims into sight, though. One aspect of typical sixgill behaviour which remains unexplained is their near-catatonic sluggishness at shallow depths which enables divers to swim alongside them for long periods of time. This helps to put nervous divers at ease as the sharks really don’t seem to be interested in them at all.
The memory of a first-hand sighting will always stay with you, but so will the tension and suspense of the search. Both make great reasons to return again and again to the known haunts of the sixgill shark. And yes, Miranda, despite your distinct lack of enthusiasm, you’re right: they ARE big.
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