Tuna may taste delicious, but hunting for it is the real treat.
A group of Tofino fishers, including former NHL star Willie Mitchell, recently experienced a rare salmon shark sighting.
Mitchell told the Westerly News that the crew was roughly 120 kilometres offshore, cruising around the Clayoquot Canyon.
害羞草研究所淲e were just doing some rad stuff offshore, exploring and trying to find some tuna,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e saw a big fin and got on top of it. We thought it was about an eight-foot white shark at first and then kind of settled down after the 害羞草研究所極h my, that is a monster.害羞草研究所�
Tofino nature photographer Jeremy Koreski was fishing with Mitchell and said it was the first time he害羞草研究所檇 ever seen a salmon shark.
害羞草研究所淲hen we first pulled up to it, we just thought it was a blue shark. When you害羞草研究所檙e tuna fishing, you see blue sharks all day,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hen we got closer and a lot of us thought it was a great white害羞草研究所ooking down on it from the top, it looked like a great white and we were all kind of freaking out because we were swimming around in the water earlier.害羞草研究所�
He added it wasn害羞草研究所檛 until Jesse Bone of Filter Studios put a camera in the water that the crew realized it was a salmon shark.
Mitchell was thrilled that the animal stuck around for a while, allowing the crew to watch it.
害羞草研究所淔ortunately enough for us, it was just kind of cruising around and doing it害羞草研究所檚 thing and wasn害羞草研究所檛 too spooked so we got a couple of good looks at it,害羞草研究所� Mitchell said.
Along with the shark, Mitchell said the crew spotted white-sided dolphins, false killer whales, humpback whales and even a sei whale, the third largest species of whale on the planet.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what we go out there for. To see rad stuff,害羞草研究所� Mitchell said. 害羞草研究所淚f we get a tuna, or two, that害羞草研究所檚 certainly a bonus. That害羞草研究所檚 dinner,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淔ishing and eating tuna is marvellous, but it害羞草研究所檚 what you see out there害羞草研究所ishing is more the vehicle for the adventure.害羞草研究所�
He said tuna lures fishers into the blue water around Clayoquot Canyon.
害羞草研究所淭hey skirt that line because there害羞草研究所檚 so much life in the water. They jump in there and feed and gorge themselves, so that害羞草研究所檚 where we go,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a completely different ecosystem害羞草研究所t害羞草研究所檚 an hour out there and, because of the upwelling of the shelf, you just start to have an abundance of life from humpback whales to white- sided dolphins to mola mola sunfish, blue sharks, salmon sharks; it just comes alive.害羞草研究所�
Koreski said the canyon害羞草研究所檚 vibrant setting is a paradise for photographers.
害羞草研究所淵ou get out to that canyon and that drop off and all the upwelling brings the wildlife in and you see a lot of really interesting stuff,害羞草研究所� Koreski said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 fantastic out there.害羞草研究所�
Mitchell, who , added the West Coast害羞草研究所檚 abundant wildlife 害羞草研究所減uts life into perspective.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎ll of us play on the west side of Vancouver Island and all the beaches here are our playgrounds. Being a local and just knowing that we are certainly small creatures in the grand scheme of things, certainly we want to respect the ocean and respect what害羞草研究所檚 in it,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just an invigorating experience to be here and have all those noises and life and everything just kind of fill your soul and that害羞草研究所檚 what it害羞草研究所檚 really about. That害羞草研究所檚 what I love about being here害羞草研究所he energy just fills the tank. It害羞草研究所檚 one of the marvellous spots on the planet where you have this big, mountainous backdrop on one side and beautiful Clayoquot Sound where you can explore on so many different capacities.害羞草研究所�
