A whale-watching company reported an incident where one of its vessels came into contact with a humpback whale that unexpectedly surfaced near Vancouver. The company, Prince of Whales, stated that the vessel took immediate evasive action to avoid the whale, resulting in minimal contact during the maneuver. The encounter was described as a surprise as the crew was not actively observing the whale. Several passengers on board fell and sustained injuries when the vessel abruptly stopped, with four individuals receiving emergency medical treatment at Granville Island before being hospitalized in stable condition.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) confirmed receiving a report from a whale-watching vessel regarding a collision with a humpback whale in Howe Sound. Following the incident, the whale was observed surfacing three times. The DFO mentioned that they are working to identify the whale and noted the full cooperation of the company involved.
This incident follows a recent case where a humpback whale was struck by a high-speed passenger-only ferry in English Bay. The DFO highlighted the vulnerability of humpback whales to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear due to various factors such as whale density, ship traffic, boat size, and speed. The southern Salish Sea has seen a significant presence of humpback whales in recent years, particularly during fall, with an estimated 416 individual whales in Canadian waters between Vancouver and the western end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Authorities have been alerted to monitor for injured whales as inclement weather conditions are forecasted for the weekend.