Our ocean-loving followers are no doubt aware that Discovery's #SharkWeek has begun, but did you know that a fascinating shark story is unfolding in #NovaScotia? Here's a quick summary of what's going on with all those recent #WhiteShark sightings: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/great-white-sharks-atlantic-canada-1.5641078

Why the increase in sightings? Are we seeing more sharks in NS or have our detection methods just improved?
Probably both!

Some researchers do suggest that warming waters and a healthy seal population are encouraging the giants to move Northward. Sharks have certainly been front and centre in local news though, thanks partly to increased (and heavily publicized) efforts by groups like #Ocearch.

What's the controversy around Ocearch about?
Ocearch is an American non-profit group who have been tagging White Sharks in Canadian waters for the last couple years and, famously, giving the sharks twitter handles, adorably personifying an animal that many people still fear.

Though the group has permission from DFO to conduct their research off Nova Scotia, some local researchers have raised concerns about the methods Ocearch uses. How sharks respond to the invasive tagging methods is still largely unknown

and many Canadian researchers have moved towards less invasive methods than those currently used by Ocearch. Some experts are also concerned about where Ocearch does their luring, citing public safety and preservation of the sharks' natural behaviours as priorities being ignored.

Is it still safe to swim?
Yes! Shark attacks are extremely rare. As long as you aren't swimming amongst a horde of grey seals, you have nothing to worry about. So go to the beach, read the latest tweet from your resident White Shark, and enjoy the awesome nature all around us!