(BCTV) - In the seas off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, another suspicious ship has been spotted. Could it be carrying more illegal migrants? That's the question that authorities are now flying out to answer. John Daly has the latest on this breaking story.

John Daly, reporting: "Officials are scrambling to try to catch the ship before it lands on Canadian soil, but they fear they may be too late.

The ship was first spotted this afternoon, about 50 nautical miles off the north coast of Vancouver Island.

The ship was moving at about 10-kilometers-an-hour.

It was spotted by a Canadian Military Aurora patrol aircraft on routine sweep. It is now within Canadian Waters.

Sources say from what they could see, the boat fits the profile of the other ships carrying migrants hoping to slip into Canada undetected.

One source says the system didn't work too well this time as the ship was too close when it was first spotted, and they will be lucky to catch it before it lands.

The federal Immigration Department has activated its marine response team that deals with illegal migrants at sea."

Anchor reads: "If this turns out to be a migrant ship, it will be the third confirmed one off the B.C. coast this summer."