For a brief moment this week, the waters off Port Alberni became the salmon shark capital of Canada.

Scientists and students aboard an Oceans Network Canada expedition to explore pacific seamounts off the west coast of Vancouver Island had a rare sighting of a salmon shark on July 23.

Scientist Dr. Cherisse Du Preez and Joshua Watts, one of two Nuu-chah-nulth people aboard the vessel, spotted the two-metre, male salmon shark.

Officially off towards the explorer seamount to Stayed tuned for updates! Fisheries and Oceans Canada and check out the live stream on the 19th at
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鈥� Joshua Watts (@thejoshuawatts)

鈥淲e noticed it started brushing itself along this log over and over again,鈥� Watts said in a video released by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

鈥淚t looked like it was aiming for this big clump of barnacles,鈥� Du Preez said. 鈥淚t would heave its body out of the water and slide at the log.鈥�

The shark had parasites visible on its dorsal fin. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting to see these logs out at sea may be scratching posts for them to rid themselves of parasites,鈥� Du Preez said.

鈥淎s far as I know, this footage doesn鈥檛 exist elsewhere.鈥�

Crew members reportedly watched the salmon shark for half an hour. 鈥淚t was incredible,鈥� Watts said.

Watts and Aline Carrier from Nuu-chah-nulth nations in Port Alberni boarded the coast guard ship John P Tully on July 17 to join the expedition for two weeks. They represent Uuathluk

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Port Alberni boasts of being the Salmon Capital of Canada, and was crowned Canada鈥檚 Ultimate Fishing Town in 2012.

To watch the livestream of the Pacific seamounts expedition 2019 and learn more about what they鈥檙e finding, .

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