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Warning: This article contains images that may be disturbing to some readers. Please read with caution.
Conservationists say the heartbreaking photos Humpback whales An incident where a tail was severed off the coast of British Columbia should serve as a warning.
The whale was spotted twice earlier this month, once near Klemutu and once near Greenpoint Rapids north of Campbell River.
A humpback whale with a severed tail swims near Green Point Rapids, north of Campbell River, on July 10.
Photo: Anne McKinnell
Campbell River Whale Watching co-founder Tyler Bruce said a group of people on the water saw the whale struggling to swim against the current on July 10.
“It wasn’t until the whale made the sound that we actually saw the back end and tail end of the whale was gone, and that’s when you could hear an “ooh” of disbelief,” he said.
“A huge part of the whale was missing. It was quite shocking.”
A humpback whale with a severed tail swims near Green Point Rapids, north of Campbell River, on July 10.
Photo courtesy: Stephen Garbrysh
Bruce forwarded images of the injured whale to Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), where officials gave a grim forecast.
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“It’s just a tragedy, it’s horrible … I’m actually surprised the animal is still alive to be honest,” said Paul Cottrell of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ marine mammal rescue team.
Without its tail fin, the whale’s ability to move and forage for food would be severely impaired, Cottrell said.
It may also be unable to complete the long distances of the humpback whale migration and is already showing signs of weight loss.
“The long-term prognosis for this animal is not good, and unfortunately we will most likely be performing a necropsy on it in the near future,” Cottrell said.
Researchers were unable to identify the whale because the unique markings that usually help humans tell them apart are on their tail fins.
Jackie Hildering, a humpback whale researcher at the Association for Marine Education and Research, believes the whale lost its tail after becoming entangled in fishing gear because of the visible scars.
She said she hoped the “heartbreaking” images of the injuries would help people better understand the risks these animals face.
For this reason, the researchers nicknamed the whale “the Catalyst.”
“A catalyst for change, a catalyst for awareness… a catalyst for education,” Hildering said.
“There’s a good chance that Catalyst will fail, which is part of why we want it to succeed.”
Hilderling said the recovery of humpback whales in British Columbia waters is giving the species a second chance.
But the resurgence has also increased the risk of deadly conflicts between humans and humpback whales, including ship strikes and entanglement in so-called “ghost fishing gear.”
Tracking the health and numbers of whales remains a challenge given the vastness of the coast and the solitary nature of the animals, Hilderling said, and she believes most cases of entanglements and deaths go unrecorded.
“A conservative estimate, and we’re still compiling the data, is that about 50 percent of humpback whales photographed off the coast are found to be entangled at least once,” she said.
“So how many people died?”
She said the case highlighted the need to give whales more space and crack down on lost fishing gear, as well as the importance for mariners to always keep an eye out for whales in distress.
Anyone who sees an entangled marine animal can report it to Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s response team at 1-800-465-4336.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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