‘Quite a rare find’: Dead swordfish found washed up on Haida Gwaii

When Quinn Barabash went out late in the season to catch Coho salmon off the coast of Haida Gwaii, he figured he’d find a few.

What he didn’t expect to see was a six-foot-long swordfish washed up on shore.

“I’ve never even heard of someone seeing a swordfish in these sort of northern west coast Canadian waters,” the licensed boat captain and experienced fisherman told Global News. “I’ve been fascinated by bill fish my whole life, all fish really. But to find something that seemed so out of place so close to home was just yeah a rare type of fascinating.”

The predatory fish is not uncommon in Canadian waters, but typically is found further south in tropical environments.

Scientists presume there have only been two sightings in B.C. before.

How it washed up on shore was another mystery.

“There’s a drop off to the continental shelf, giant squid, sperm whales, all kinds of mysterious creatures,” Barabash said. “I’m assuming it died off shore because they hunt deep.”

While swordfish spend most of their time in the abyss of the ocean, they can come up to the surface to sunbathe. Barabash thinks this might be how it ended up so close to land.

The fisherman said he contacted the Department of Fisheries and was asked to go out and take a flesh sample from the fish.

“I hope that it wasn’t too far in the decomposition process for the sample to be held useful,” he said. “Parts of it really smelt quite foul, it was a plug your nose and get the job done kind of task.”

The hope is that the sample can be used to learn more about the fish and why it was in those waters.

The theory is that as ocean temperatures continue to rise, these types of fish with a preference for the tropics will be found further north, Isabella Morgante, a PhD candidate at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia, told Global News.

“Finding a swordfish that far up north in Haida Gwaii is quite a rare find. It could still be just a one-off, one of those fish lost their path. But I think regardless, it’s a good warning and an indicator of warming oceans in B.C.,” she said.

With an El Nino this year, water temperatures are even warmer, which could lead to more interesting discoveries.

Two years ago a great white shark was found washed up on the beaches of Haida Gwaii. Morgante said ocean sunfish, trigger fish and butterfly fish have also been spotted.

“We’re seeing species shift distribution, but for those unfortunately that can’t move to more suitable habitat areas, we’re seeing declines in those fisheries and fish capture because they’re just getting so stressed out,” she said.

Regardless of why the swordfish ended up where it did, Barabash said he now has one goal: to catch one.