Fifteen-year-old Finn Holland has a passion for animals, so when he learned about a shark that had washed ashore near his home in Maces Bay, a coastal community in southern New Brunswick, he felt compelled to assist.
On Saturday evening, Holland and his family made their way down their lengthy driveway in a side-by-side vehicle, heading toward Maces Bay beach, located southwest of Saint John.
“When we spotted it, it seemed really injured, almost lifeless,” Holland recounted. “But then we noticed some slight movements.”
“I pulled it by the tail back into the ocean and helped it find its way in the water, and it just took off,” he added.
Finn Holland rescued a two-metre, 70-kilogram porbeagle shark that washed up on shore. (Submitted by Jill Holland)
Initially, Holland was uncertain about touching the shark due to its size—approximately two metres long and weighing around 70 kilograms. It has now been confirmed as a porbeagle shark.
“I was amazed; it was incredibly interesting,” Holland expressed.
Jill Holland, Finn’s mother, mentioned that she wasn’t shocked by her son’s actions.
“It’s just like him to act without hesitation; he just thinks, ‘I need to go save a shark,’ and off he goes,” she remarked.
“He took the initiative, and I was really anxious,” she added.
Jill noted that they have resided in the community for 11 years and had never encountered any reports of sharks in the vicinity.
A shark specialist confirmed that such sightings are indeed uncommon.
‘Rare’ encounter, expert says
“Encounters, particularly in their natural habitat, without actively fishing for them, are quite rare,” stated Neil Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research Foundation and president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions.
“I believe that a sighting of this species is a relatively unique experience.”
Neil Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research Foundation and president of Atlantic Shark Expeditions, stated that the sighting is rare since the species typically doesn’t inhabit shallow waters. (Submitted by Neil Hammerschlag)
Hammerschlag explained that unlike many other shark species, porbeagles can maintain a body temperature that is warmer than the surrounding waters, allowing them to thrive in the cooler waters off Atlantic Canada and New England.
However, he noted that the rarity of this encounter is due to their typical absence in shallow waters, leading him to suspect that the shark may have been in distress.
“It could be sick or may have had an interaction with fishing gear, resulting in it being caught and then released,” he suggested.
Hammerschlag also pointed out that another factor contributing to the rarity of such sightings is the significant decline in their population due to overfishing over the years.
Fifteen-year-old Finn Holland pulled a porbeagle shark by its tail fin back into the ocean on the weekend.
The Advisory Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada recognized this species as endangered in the Atlantic Ocean back in 2004, although the federal government has yet to follow suit.
“It’s wonderful that someone was courageous enough to return it to the water,” Hammerschlag remarked.
As for Finn, he is taken aback by the overwhelming support his shark rescue has received from his local community.
“Animals may not be able to express gratitude in words … but you can feel it from their presence, which reassures you that you did the right thing,” he concluded.