Saint John man reports shark sighting at beach

A Saint John man spotted what he believes was a shark when he was at a beach on the Bay of Fundy Wednesday night.

Paul Russell said he was staring outover the water at Saint's Rest Beach on the city's west side when he saw a dark triangle-shaped fin poking above the surface.

'I saw this great big fin come out of the water. I kept staring out at it. I was so excited.' -Paul Russell

"I saw this great big fin come out of the water," he said. "I kept staring out at it. I was so excited. I know it came out three times. It was big too."

Russell says the shark was about four metres long.

Dr. Steven Campana, a research scientist with the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, said it was probablya basking shark. At full size they average in length from six to nine metres long, and they do live in the Bay of Fundy.

Campana said basking sharks are friendly and do not pose any threat to people.