Another vessel collision involving a whale near Vancouver Island is under investigation after the animal was found dead in the same area a day later.
Last week, on October 24th, a Prince of Whales whale watching vessel accidentally collided with a humpback whale near Howe Sound, a fjord located between the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay.
One day later, a humpback was discovered deceased near Keats Island, in Howe Sound.
Prince of Whales says that the contact with the humpback was unexpected as the vessel and its passengers were not actively viewing any whales at the time.
The humpback surfaced suddenly and directly in the vessel’s path, according to Prince of Whales.
“Although our vessel performed an emergency stop maneuver, contact with the whale was made,” said a spokesperson for Prince of Whales in an email to Victoria Buzz.
“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.”
Since the collision, the deceased humpback whale has been identified as four-year-old BCY1464, also known as “Wisp.”
“We do not yet have any information on the whale’s cause of death, but based on the timing and location, we believe this could be the whale involved in Thursday’s incident,” Prince of Whales continued.
“We are devastated by this news. For decades, Prince of Whales has been an advocate for whale conservation, educating guests from around the world on the importance of protecting marine life.”
Prince of Whales says that they want to stress that if a collision with a whale can happen to a vessel that is staffed by professionals, it can happen to any boat at any time.
“Whales can surface unexpectedly, and it’s critical to stay vigilant when operating in marine waterways.”
Immediately following the collision, Prince of Whales reported the collision to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
DFO told Victoria Buzz that since the deceased whale has been discovered, they have launched an investigation into the cause of death.
They added that humpback whale populations have been increasing in the Salish Sea since the 1960s when industrial whaling ceased in Canadian Pacific waters.
“Vessel strikes are one of the primary threats to humpback whales,” said DFO in a statement.
“As humpback whale numbers increase in coastal waters, their overlap with human activities and vessel traffic is also increasing.”
According to DFO, humpbacks can be quite oblivious of boats and they can be hard to see, which increases their risk of being struck by a vessel.
This whale strike is just the latest incident in a recent uptick in collisions with marine mammals in the Salish Sea.
Earlier this month, a Hullo Ferries vessel travelling between Nanaimo and Vancouver struck a humpback calf and in September, a BC Ferries vessel struck a humpback near Prince Rupert, and this whale ended up dying of the collision.
