‘Holy moly!’: Rare shark appearance in Bedford Basin inspires shock and awe | CBC News

It’s been a long time since swimming was encouraged in the Bedford Basin, but that didn’t stop one shark from making a rare and lengthy visit on Friday night. 

"I have never seen a shark in the Bedford Basin before. That was a first," said Bedford resident John Calder.

Calder had nearly finished his commute home from work when he came across a crowd standing on the Shore Drive Bridge, which overlooks the basin where it meets the Sackville River.

“I got out of my car to see what was happening and lo and behold, there was two giant shark fins that were protruding from the water,” Calder said Saturday. “Right away, I said: 'Holy moly! That's a shark.'"

According to marine biologist and shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag, who reviewed multiple videos of the shark shared on social media, “it’s clearly a basking shark.” 

“They pose no risk to humans, they eat little plankton, and they’re called basking sharks because they often spend time near the surface where they look like they’re basking in the sun,” said Hammerschlag, president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions.

The shark's habit of floating near the surface, combined with the fact that it is the second-largest fish in the world, made it easy to spot once it entered the basin.

However, finding one in such a busy waterway — surrounded by dozens of sailboats and densely populated shores — is highly unusual.

“I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an animal this large so close to shore,” Hammerschlag said.

While Calder watched the shark for only 15 minutes before it swam away, he described it as a moment where time stood still.

“You go about your day, and then all of a sudden there’s a shark, and it’s like everything stops, nothing else is important and you’re just watching mother nature,” he said.

Around 7:30 p.m., Calder's wife, Lisa McCloskey, and his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Audrey Hill, spotted the shark near a dock at the Bedford Basin Yacht Club.