A swordfish was found on Haida Gwaii. Will more follow?
A swordfish was discovered off the coast of Haida Gwaii, a rare occurrence for the region. Experts suggest this sighting may be linked to climate change, as tropical species migrate to colder waters.
Why it matters
The event highlights the ongoing impact of warming oceans on marine biodiversity and ecosystem distribution.
The fish was found by filmmaker and outdoorsman "Captain" Quinn Barabash while out with his oldest son and some friends on Sept. 27.
A video on his YouTube channel captures his incredulity when one of his shipmates tells him what they've found.
"That's crazy," he exclaims, moving towards the roughly six-foot-long (two-metre) carcass.
Swordfish aren't unheard of in Canadian waters: recent years have seen Atlantic fisheries report historically high hauls of the animal.
But they are more commonly found in tropical and temperate waters, particularly in the Pacific.
Barabash's video was taken off the west coast of Haida Gwaii, where he lives, approximately 800 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.
In fact, he says he could only find two other documented sightings of swordfish in B.C., both far south and much closer to the Lower Mainland.
He rates seeing the swordfish in northwest B.C. as one of his wilder encounters.
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