Volunteers believe whale struck by BC Ferries vessel has died

Whale spotters believe they have identified the humpback struck by a BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound on Oct. 18. A dead humpback found Monday near the Grace Islands, close to where the strike happened, has been identified as “Notcho,” according to a social media post by the Marine Education and Research Society on behalf of the Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration.

The post says Tasli Shaw, who curates the Humpbacks of the Salish catalogue, identified the whale from photos provided by Gambier Island resident Emily Ashton. The Marine Education and Research Society says the whale was nicknamed Notcho in 2017 because of a distinctive nick or notch on the left side of his fluke. It was first sighted in B.C. waters in 2016.

The post notes that the dead whale’s fluke is severed. Its dorsal fin is not visible because it washed up on its back. Shaw was able to identify it using the markings and shape of its right pectoral fins.

BC Ferries previously confirmed that the Queen of Surrey was involved in a whale strike during a sailing between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale on Oct. 18. At the time, the company said the whale surfaced “directly in front of the vessel, leaving the crew with very little time to react.” BC Ferries said the strike was reported immediately to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Witness video submitted to CTV News, purportedly taken from the ferry, appears to show blood in the water after the collision. Screams can be heard off camera, followed by one person saying, “We hit it,” and another saying, “The boat cut it.”

CTV News has contacted BC Ferries and Fisheries and Oceans Canada for comment on the whale’s identification and any investigative or regulatory steps that may remain. The story will be updated if responses are received.