A humpback whale has died after possibly being hit by a BC Ferries vessel in Wright Sound, a part of northern BC known for having many whales in the summer and fall.
BC Ferries stated that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening when a whale surfaced about 30 metres from the Northern Expedition. The crew took action to avoid the whale and reported the sighting to the Operations Centre and to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“The whale was observed surfacing multiple times afterward, and once it was deemed safe, the vessel continued on its scheduled route. As there was no confirmation of a strike at the time, passengers were not made aware,” BC Ferries told Victoria Buzz.
The next morning, researchers found a dead humpback whale in the same area. Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirmed that a necropsy will be carried out to find out the cause of death.
According to BCWhales, which is part of the North Coast Cetacean Society (NCCS), the whale was identified as Midnight (BCX1940). Midnight is a male who has lived in the area for a long time. He is known for bubble net feeding and his unique song.
“On September 17th, we lost Midnight,” NCCS said in a statement. “At 10:30 a.m., Grace and Laurie saw what was unmistakably the struck whale, floating dead at the surface and in direct line of sight to where the strike occurred.”
Their team and the Gitga’at Guardians worked with the coastguard and marine researchers and were able to move the whale to shore for a necropsy by mid-afternoon.
“This was an incredibly emotional day for our team. We know the whales here by name, and as unique individuals,” the statement said. “Losing any whale is a loss of unique knowledge and culture in the population. At this time of year, male humpback whales begin to sing in these waters. It dawned on us that we would never again hear Midnight sing.”
NCCS said that although BC Ferries reported the strike quickly, more efforts are needed to lower the risk of collisions in areas with many whales.
“Slow down zones, especially for large vessels, would be the best place to start,” the group said.
BC Ferries said whale encounters are common across its network, but vessel strikes are rare. There have been five suspected or confirmed whale strikes in the past three years, which makes six if you include this week’s incident.
“To reduce risk, all bridge crew complete Whales in Our Waters training, follow our ‘Vessel Operations in the Presence of Marine Mammals’ policy, and use tools like the Whale Report Alert System to help avoid encounters,” the company said.
“Everyone at the company takes to heart our responsibility and accountability for the safe operation of our vessels, our connection to the communities in which we operate, and our responsibility to mitigate impacts on the marine environment in which we operate.”
The Northern Expedition, launched in 2009, is a 151-meter ship. It can carry up to 638 passengers and 115 vehicles on BC Ferries’ northern routes.
This includes the open-sea trip between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert.
