The Pacific Northwest is famous for towering evergreens, misty mountains, and, of course, salmon runs and orcas.

But here’s a superlative you might not have heard: our little stretch of Puget Sound is also home to the Sixgill Shark Capital of the World. Yessir — Des Moines, Washington, just 25 minutes south of Seattle, is one of the best places on Earth to see a massive, prehistoric shark that usually lurks thousands of feet below the surface.

Meet the Sixgill

The Bluntnose Sixgill Shark is as wild as it sounds. They can grow up to 18 feet long, with a build that rivals Great Whites. And unlike nearly every other shark, they’ve got six gill slits instead of five, and no primary dorsal fin.

“[They] don’t have the classic fin you see in movies,” Higley explained. “They’re a submarine-depth shark. They move slowly, conserving energy, and they only occasionally come up to scuba diver depths.”

He describes the Sixgills as prehistoric sharks, an ancestor to more “modern” sharks (Jaws, we’re looking at you).

Why Here?

So why Redondo Beach? Sixgills aren’t exclusive to this one spot — they’re found all throughout the Salish Sea, from the Canadian Gulf Islands down through Hood Canal. Scientists think the entire region may serve as a kind of nursery ground for them. And while divers and fishermen have reported sightings all over, Redondo stands out.

“Redondo seems to attract an inordinate amount of them,” said Higley. “It’s an odd thing. But another part of this is, Redondo is literally one of the top dive sites in the entire Puget Sound, so I think there’s a little bit of a chicken and egg situation here.”

Meaning, are more divers seeing Sixgills because there are more Sixgills here? Or because there are more dives happening, more frequently here?

“There’s lots of eyes here,” he said. “But again, something seems to attract them. And, they’re curious.”

Their curiosity is no small factor — think about it. The fastest human swimmer can probably swim 4 mph. Scuba divers are probably around 1 mph, and that’s working hard. One mile per hour for a Sixgill is sloooooooooow — no diver is going to be accidentally sneaking up on a Sixgill.

“If they don’t want to be around the divers, they aren’t around the divers,” said Higley. But again and again, they choose to let themselves be seen.

The “Boop”

From all reports, Sixgill encounters aren’t terrifying — they’re mesmerizing. Divers often describe them as gliding towards them, even brushing their noses against cameras. “The term that’s often used is ‘boop,’” Higley laughed.

He’s quick to point out that the sharks’ movements are placid, not aggressive. While he’s not positive about their motives (“the scientist in me has a hard time saying ‘absolutely’ because I’m not a shark”), based on the behavior he’s seen, his best guess is curiosity.

Higley, who’s been diving for decades, still talks about his three Sixgill sightings with awe. On one dive, a one swam directly under his buddy, its massive head passing just below his torso. “No danger,” he said. “But there’s a part of your brain that says ‘it’s a shark, you’re dead,’ but then my real brain was like, ‘you’re fine.’”

And for anyone nervous, it’s important to note: there’s never been a Sixgill shark attack in Washington. “I would take my children in a heartbeat,” Higley said.

Shark City

Whatever the reason, chicken or egg (err, shark or cub?), Des Moines has fully leaned into the Sixgill hype. The city officially declared itself the Sixgill Shark Capital of the World and even designated July 6 as Sixgill Shark Day. Last summer, the MaST Center hosted the first Shark in the Park festival, drawing more than 1,000 people with shark costumes, a parade entry (Higley quickly points out MaST’s float won), and hands-on marine science.

“We’re trying to help their PR, raise their PR,” Higley admitted. “Here’s what we know about them, here’s where we’re seeing them, and some concerns of human impacts on them.”

Protecting Our Predators

Like many big ocean animals, Sixgills are slow to reproduce and vulnerable to human impact. It’s illegal to target them in Washington, but accidental catches and baiting remain concerns. Right now, it’s illegal to catch a Sixgill — but if you are fishing for something else and you “accidentally” catch one, that’s ok.

“Now, you have to be using the right kind of hook to catch a Sixgill, and the right kind of bait to catch a Sixgill so” said Higley. “Stephen Colbert calls it ‘truthiness.’”

Then, there’s baiting. It’s not common, but some divers do it — and while Fish & Wildlife has a law against baiting wildlife, things get murkier quickly.

“Their name is the Department of Fish and Wildlife,” said Higley. “Which mean fish are not wildlife.”

Which means the law to not bait wildlife, doesn’t necessarily apply to “fish.” Because obviously you can’t have a law that says don’t bait fish.

“The more accurate word in that case is chumming,” he said. “We’ve actually been in conversation with Fish and Wildlife to see if there are ways to strengthen that language.”

Even if you’re not a diver or fisherman, everyday choices on land help, too. Cleaner stormwater means healthier conditions for sharks, salmon, orcas — the whole web of Puget Sound life.

A Living Fossil in Our Backyard

The MaST Center Aquarium — a teaching aquarium and research facility at Redondo Beach — helps connect the dots. With more than 250 Puget Sound species on display, it’s a place where families can learn why these waters matter. For Higley, Sixgills are the ultimate ambassador.

“Salmon are cool, orcas are cool, but sharks have a different energy,” he said. “In conservation biology, there’s a term called umbrella species.”

If you protect Sixgills, you’re protecting everything under their umbrella — fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, some marine mammals. Basically, you’re protecting the whole Salish Sea.

So next time you’re walking the Redondo boardwalk, take a moment to imagine it: a prehistoric giant, slowly cruising beneath the surface. The Pacific Northwest may be known for its evergreens and salmon, but it turns out — we’re also shark country.

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