A four-year-old humpback whale has washed up dead near Keats Island in Howe Sound, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is investigating to determine the cause of death.
Alex Cole lives in Howe Sound and first heard about the dead whale on Saturday night from a local Facebook group he runs.
He drove his boat on Sunday morning to the south side of Keats Island and photographed the dead whale against the rocks.
“It’s obviously sad, a very sad and tragic thing to see a big beautiful whale … in that sort of vulnerable position,” Cole said.
The whale was found dead in the same area where a humpback whale was struck by a whale-watching vessel on Oct. 23.
A statement from whale-watching company Prince of Whales said that based on timing and location, it believes this could be the whale involved in Thursday’s incident.
“We are devastated by this news,” reads the statement.
The company said it will continue to co-operate and communicate with DFO as the situation evolves.
“For the many boat operators here in the Salish Sea, we’d like to stress that if an event like this can occur with a vessel staffed by professionals actively searching for whales, it can happen to any boat at any time,” reads the statement.
DFO identified the dead humpback whale found at Keats Island as BCY1464, also known as Wisp, and said there is an active investigation.
“This is an unfortunate incident,” said a DFO spokesperson. “We are working to better understand what happened.”
Erin Gless with the Pacific Whale Watch Association said BCY1464 Wisp was born in 2021 to mom BCX1333 Ghost.
Wisp and another whale, BCY1463 Malachite, spent several weeks feeding together earlier this season in Howe Sound, very close to shore.
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Cole said Wisp grew quite a following this summer after people kept spotting it near the shoreline.
“Wisp is definitely a whale that was well-loved,” Cole said.
At the time of the incident, the company said it was not actively viewing the whale, and it was a surprise encounter when it suddenly and unexpectedly surfaced.
“Although the vessel was able to stop almost immediately, there was minimal contact with the whale during the maneuver,” reads the statement.
Several passengers on the vessel fell as it stopped suddenly.
B.C. Emergency Health Services said paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to four patients on Granville Island. They were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
One of the crew members on board watched the whale surface and swim away, according to the company.
“Crew members on Thursday’s tour did not observe any apparent injuries on the whale when it swam away, but not all parts of the whale were visible at the time,” reads the statement.
After the vessel strike, DFO was not yet able to confirm the identity of the whale.
On Oct. 17, a high-speed ferry struck a humpback whale near Vancouver in English Bay.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) confirmed to CBC News that the injured animal had been identified as the calf of BCX1193 Zig Zag.
The humpback calf was seen with a deep gash near its dorsal fin.
DFO said vessel strikes are one of the primary threats to humpback whales. As humpback whale numbers increase in coastal waters, their overlap with human activities and vessel traffic is also increasing.
