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PHOTO: Shark spotted near Vancouver beach

Woman snaps photo of a seal, heron and what’s believed to be a Pacific spiny dogfish
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It’s not every day one sees a shark at a Vancouver beach, but one woman saw just that this week.

The photo, featuring a heron, a seal and the telling dorsal fin of what Vancouver Aquarium staff believe to be a Pacific spiny dogfish, shows just how diverse the waters at Kitsilano Beach can be.

“They’re common, but maybe not commonly seen,” said Danny Kent, a curator of propagation at the aquarium.

Kent said he’s seen the small species of shark feeding off schools of herring in waters near Hornby Island.

The Pacific spiny dogfish is known to swim in the waters off B.C., specifically in the Straight of Georgia and around parts of Vancouver Island.

“It might be in distress,” he said. “Last year, we did get a couple of calls of some washing up on the shore. We rehabilitated one and released it.”

Kent said if anyone spots marine animals, including porpoises and seals, that seem to be in distress to call the aquarium’s hotline at 604-258-7325.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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