Up to 10 basking sharks were filmed close to shore off Nairn in the Moray Firth, offering rare, close-up views to tour passengers and beachgoers. The late-summer sightings featured large sharks circling near idle boats in calm water.

Icelandic authorities report that 7 of 22 salmon submitted for testing were confirmed as farmed escapees, caught in several North/West Iceland rivers. Tracing suggests six fish share a common origin in Dýrafjörður; investigations continue and anglers are asked to turn in suspect fish whole for analysis.

A Eurasian hoopoe, rare in Finland, has been visiting a yard in Pello, Lapland, for a week, likely carried north by southerly airflows.

A passenger, Emma, says a routine fast-ferry trip near Hammerfest turned dramatic when the vessel struck a whale; the whale was visibly injured with blood in the water.

Unusually low waters in the Mackenzie River during late summer 2025, disrupting traditional and commercial river transport and indicating a shift from riverbed to riparian areas.

A mother cougar and two adolescent cubs have been repeatedly sighted in Mesachie Lake, B.C., since August, prompting safety concerns from residents. Conservation officers are monitoring the situation and advise precautions but say there’s no evidence of aggression toward people.

An inspector from the Icelandic Fisheries Agency counted around 100 farmed salmon in the lower section of Haukadalsá, marking the largest occurrence of escaped farmed salmon in an Icelandic river, and plans are underway for removal operations including using anglers and Norwegian divers.

In Kvænangen river traps caught a 30:1 ratio of invasive pink salmon to wild Atlantic salmon, requiring up to three emptyings per day.

A white stork, normally native to Spain and Portugal, was photographed spending over 12 hours on a lamp-post in Lusk, Co Dublin, prompting experts to suggest climate change may be altering its migration behaviour.

Alaska officials confirmed the state’s first detection of the small hive beetle at an apiary in the Copper River region, likely linked to imported bees from Mississippi. Experts warn the pest can damage bee colonies and honey, urging coordinated action by beekeepers to contain and eradicate it.

A polar bear was spotted traveling on an ice floe near the Hornstrandir peninsula in the Westfjords of Iceland.

An unusual sighting of squid in Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, highlights a pattern of increasing squid observations in unexpected locations..

A Smithers man reports punching a cougar in the face during an unexpected encounter near Lake Kathlyn on July 26, sustaining minor injuries before the animal fled; conservation officers are monitoring the area for further cougar activity.

A venomous lion’s mane jellyfish has been sighted on several west Swedish beaches between Strömstad and Malmö, delivering powerful stings that can cause breathing problems.

Fisherman Edgar Olsen hauled in over 2,000 invasive pink salmon in one seine cast during trial fishing at the Vesterelva estuary in Nesseby, distributing about half to locals and sending the rest to Lerøy.

A rare basking shark was spotted during an Elding whale watching tour in Faxaflói Bay, marking its first appearance in the bay in five years according to the company.

A leatherback sea turtle was filmed near Haida Gwaii on July 14, marking the first verified sighting in B.C. waters in 2025.

A grizzly bear wandering unusually close to Rankin Inlet was shot and killed by a local hunter after being spotted near the hamlet’s shooting range and Landing Lake. Mayor Harry Towtongie noted that grizzlies are increasingly common in the Kivalliq Region, potentially due to climate or environmental changes.

A small but potentially environmentally threatening crab is expanding its area of influence in Alaska.

A juvenile brown bear entered Nome’s streets on July 8, 2025, and was fatally shot by Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Nome Police after posing a public safety threat. This was the first urban bear dispatch of the year amid reports of heightened bear activity around town.