Researchers confirm a great white shark was in the waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, but experts say it is not as unusual as you might think.
The shark, named Kara, is around five metres in length and weighs about 1,000 kg.
She was one of six sharks fitted with a tracking device last October in California.
Dr. Michael Domeier, director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, told Global News that they tag the adult females as they are the most interesting.
“They have a two-year migration cycle because they give birth every two years and then in that off year, they spend it entirely offshore in the deep ocean, it’s going as far as Hawaii,” he said.
“So, Kara, that’s the name of the shark that we’re tracking now that ventured as far as Vancouver Island, she was tagged in October and I do expect her to be venturing offshore quite soon if in fact she’s pregnant.
“In the last day or so, she’s drifted back south. She’s now closer to Tacoma. She’s off of Washington state. She’s no longer right off your shore.”
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Domeier said it is a little unusual to have a shark’s tracking device ‘ping’ so far north, but it may become more common as sharks are creatures of habit and tend to travel to the same waters.
“We do know that they can withstand very cold water,” he added.
“We’ve tracked these sharks out into the middle of the Pacific, where they routinely make dives below 1,000 metres. That is ice cold. And we had one stay down there for 12 hours. So they can handle the cold water.”
There is also an app that people can download to track sharks’ movements as well.
Domeier said people don’t have to worry about Kara — she’s not prowling.
“In fact, if white sharks ate people, it would happen every single day,” he said. “That’s how many white sharks are around people, especially in California.”
Laura Briggs, the creator and main administrator of the Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island group on Facebook, told Global News that it is normal for sharks to be in B.C.’s waters.
“It’s not normal for us to necessarily see them or see evidence of them, so that’s what makes this so cool,” she said.
Briggs added that sharks are often misunderstood.
“They have been vilified for decades, and the fact that they’re here and there’s been no recorded shark attacks in B.C. waters ever is a good indication that these sharks are not out there to harm humans,” she said.
“They’re actually a great sign that the ecosystem, it’s doing well and they’re a very welcome sight for us to see as naturalists.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
