When Carl Sorensen descended into the waters off Vancouver Island last week, he was searching for octopus—a creature he encounters regularly during his dives. What he found instead was something far more extraordinary.
A massive bluntnose sixgill shark materialised from the depths, approaching the diver with its mouth agape. Sorensen, an experienced diver with roughly 1,200 dives under his belt across Vancouver Island’s coastline, had never encountered this species before.
“This shark was about five feet away and coming at me with its mouth open,” Sorensen told Global News. “I started screaming in my regulator and then I realised you have got to get your camera on, so I hit record right away.”
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Encounter
The shark lingered near Sorensen for approximately three minutes before drifting back into deeper waters. The entire encounter was captured on film, showing the creature getting close enough to bounce off the diver’s camera equipment.
“It wasn’t on my bingo card that day,” Sorensen said. “I’ve got about 1,200 dives all around Vancouver Island and I have never seen a sixgill shark. It’s just a very rare thing for us to see here and that’s why it’s at the top of every diver’s bucket list.”
The bluntnose sixgill shark is a large deep-water species. While these sharks are not uncommon in British Columbian waters, encountering one at recreational diving depths is decidedly unusual.
Understanding the Shark’s Presence
Experts suggest several reasons why this particular shark may have ventured into shallower waters near the Madrona Diving Site, located close to Parksville. Sorensen believes the animal could have been drawn to the area to mate or potentially to give birth.
Alternatively, the shark may have followed a more practical motivation—hunting.
“Because they eat octopus and I was in an area with a lot of octopus, so maybe that was also a part of why it was there as well,” Sorensen explained. He was confident the creature was not viewing him as a potential meal.
“When it came at me with its mouth open, it definitely wasn’t in an aggressive way,” he added. “It was very slow and gentle and moving methodically.”
Sharing the Experience
Sorensen shared the footage online, where it quickly garnered significant attention and sparked excitement among viewers. The video has attracted numerous comments from fellow diving enthusiasts and marine life observers.
“It’s going to be hard to top that for a while,” Sorensen admitted.
The encounter serves as a reminder of the rich marine biodiversity lurking beneath British Columbia’s coastal waters, even in areas frequently visited by recreational divers.
Why it Matters
This remarkable encounter highlights both the accessibility and the mystery of British Columbia’s marine ecosystems. For divers like Sorensen, such moments represent the pinnacle of underwater exploration—unexpected encounters with creatures that typically inhabit depths far beyond recreational diving limits. The footage provides valuable insights into bluntnose sixgill shark behaviour in shallower waters, contributing to our limited understanding of this deep-sea species. As coastal development and climate change continue to impact marine environments, moments like this underscore the importance of protecting these waters and the extraordinary creatures that call them home.
