stugeon or shark?

[pro 111]

I was fishing trout with my kids the other day right where the copper river joins into skidegate lake . We are on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Saw a big swirl twice and then a light brown tail fin popped up and started swimming down the river part. We are 10 miles from the beach. It was about 6 inches high and light brown. It gave a long slow swish with the tail. Only up for 4 seconds or so then i never saw it again. Is it possible that a shark could swim up a river this far. Or could it have been a sturgeon?

[The Dawg]

Could have been either or. Hard to say.

[Fella]

There's only a few species of shark that can survive in freshwater, and they live in Africa or Asia, so probably a sturgeon.

[markt308]

Sharks have swam several miles inland in N.A as well. Havn't heard of this in BC as much as I have in the states but for sure possible. of course your other guess of a sturgeon is totally possible. who knows man

[FirePower]

I would think that had you been able to see the tail, you would have also seen the dorsal fin, were it a shark. That coupled with your local, makes me believe what you saw was indeed a sturgeon.

[dwflyrod]

mybe a shargeon

[spreerider]

we have had sharks in the somass river in port alberni before, they have made it up to the orange bridge, about 2km from the mouth of the river.

[Jack Russell]

I suppose a strong tide, low river discharge and the right "floodplain" elevations would allow a salt wedge to move up the river channel and provide enough brackish water for a dogfish or other shark to move into? Haven't heard of any sturgeon sightings to my knowledge in the QCI/Skeena/Nass systems, but not impossible. It is thought sturgeon do travel further north. Very interesting to know if it was a sturgeon or not!

[cdnshooter13]

I seen a green sturgeon in nanaimo river just above living forest campground.

[luckynuts]

Salmon sharks do frequent the area, like someone had mentioned a real high tide could have allowed this. Do yo have sturgeon in the river? either way pretty cool to see that.

W.