The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) believe one of their ocean gliders encountered a shark after it was recovered with significant damage nearly 300 kilometres off the coast of Halifax.
The rocket-shaped device, deployed to gather data on seawater properties like temperature and salinity, had been in operation for about two weeks when it sent out a distress alarm, indicating it could no longer navigate its planned route.
When a research vessel retrieved the glider, DFO staff found it with bent aluminum components and missing plastic wings, suggesting a strong animal interaction deep below the surface, around 300 metres down.
According to the researchers, the bite marks on the equipment pointed to a shark, ruling out the possibility of a whale or other marine animal simply playing with it.
Despite the damage, DFO staff say the $250,000 glider is repairable and will be sent back to the manufacturer for maintenance before being redeployed into the ocean.
