Diver Hospitalized After Reported White Shark Bite Off Percé, Quebec
A scuba diver was hospitalized after being bitten by a shark during a dive off Percé, on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The local dive operator involved in the incident identified the animal as a white shark.
The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that the Maritime Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Quebec was alerted at approximately 10:27 a.m. after a diver from the YODA, a private vessel that is also part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, was bitten by a shark. Ambulance services were arranged to meet the vessel when it returned to Percé.
According to Plongée Percé, emergency procedures were activated immediately. The injured diver received first aid before being transported to hospital for further assessment.
The operator later confirmed that the diver’s life was not in danger. It said no further information about the person or the injuries would be released out of respect for the diver’s privacy.
Incident Reported at Le Bilbo Dive Site
Local reporting indicates that the diver was participating in a group dive at Le Bilbo, a dive site within the marine area of Parc national de l’Île Bonaventure et du Rocher Percé.
The diver was reportedly conscious when transported for medical treatment. Local reports described the injuries as significant, although detailed medical information has not been officially released.
While Plongée Percé identified the animal involved as a white shark, the Canadian Coast Guard statement available to media confirmed only that the diver had been bitten by a shark. No independent scientific identification of the animal has been publicly reported.
Diving Suspended for the Season
Following the incident, Plongée Percé announced that it was suspending its diving activities for the remainder of the season as a precaution.
The company also thanked the emergency teams involved in responding to the incident for their rapid intervention.
White sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, are known to occur seasonally in Atlantic Canadian waters, including Quebec and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Atlantic population is listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Canadian government information describes the species as a highly mobile seasonal migrant in Atlantic Canada.
The circumstances that led to Wednesday’s encounter have not yet been made public. There is currently no confirmed information indicating what the diver was doing immediately before the bite or what may have influenced the shark’s behaviour.
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