Most people don't know what to do when and if they spot a shark. All sharks regularly found in Canadian waters can be safely viewed from a boat, although care must be taken not to injure the shark by running over it. Basking sharks in particular are slow-moving and may be hurt by propellers. However some common sense should be used when observing any shark.
Sharks are wild animals, and deserve the same level of respect given to any other wild animal.
Raccoons are wild animals, typically 50 cm long, which are fun to watch from a distance, but should never be touched or approached too closely. The larger the raccoon, the more respect it deserves. Sharks should be considered in the same light. There are only a few species worldwide that are actually considered dangerous to humans, and none of those are regularly found in Canadian waters. They are often caught accidentally, usually from becoming entangled in herring weirs or cod nets, but have been attributed to a few unprovoked attacks on small boats in the past off Nova Scotia and in the Bay of Fundy.