Govind Tekale
A scuba diver suffered injuries from a great white shark near Percé Rock in Quebec's Gaspésie region on September 16, 2026 — an encounter marine biologists are calling extremely rare in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The diver was taken to hospital conscious, and the Club nautique de Percé said his life was not in danger. Quebec shark expert Jeffrey Hay Gallant, scientific director of the Observatoire des requins du Saint-Laurent, described encounters between divers and great white sharks in the region as extremely rare.
The diver suffered serious injuries to the upper body during a morning dive at the Le Bilbo dive site near Percé. First responders brought the conscious diver ashore and he was transported to a hospital. No further details on the diver's identity were released. Gallant said encounters with divers are extremely rare and that recent studies indicate most great white sharks visiting the Gulf are subadults.
For divers and coastal operators in eastern Canada, the incident is a reminder that great white sharks are present in the Gulf of St. Lawrence even though encounters with divers remain rare. The Club nautique de Percé suspended its diving excursions for the rest of the season after the attack.
What Experts Say About Great Whites in the Gulf
Gallant said the presence of great white sharks in the Gulf is not unusual and that their numbers there have increased in recent years. He said his working theory is that the increase may be linked in part to recovery of the protected species.
Great white sharks feed on marine mammals as they mature, and Gallant noted that most of the great whites visiting the Gulf are subadults transitioning toward a diet with more marine mammals.
Gallant cautioned that shark behaviour is difficult to predict and can vary by individual, sex and stage of development.
Public shark-tracking data cover only tagged animals, so the absence of a tracked shark on an app cannot establish that no sharks are present in an area.
Why did a shark bite a diver in Percé, Quebec?
No verified source reviewed for this article established why the shark bit the diver. Experts cited in local reporting stressed that great white encounters with divers are extremely rare and that shark behaviour is difficult to predict.
Encounters between divers and sharks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence remain statistically rare. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Atlantic Shark Research Program continues to monitor distribution and residency patterns. The Club nautique de Percé suspended its diving excursions for the rest of the season after the incident.
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