Young humpback whale found dead off northern Vancouver Island
Global News
Humpback populations in B.C. are now recovering well from the era of industrial whaling. However, ship strikes and entanglements are the greatest threats facing humpbacks today.
A young humpback whale has been found dead on the shores of northern Vancouver Island.
Named BCX1847, or Spike after a character in The Land Before Time, she was found Sunday on the north side of Malcolm Island, which is west of Port McNeill, B.C.
She was first documented in 2018 and was seen every year since, often just north of Port Hardy.
Andrew Pinch and his family discovered the whale on Sunday when he and his family were off-roading down to a secluded beach.
They turned the corner and saw a dark shape washed up on the shore.
“It was massive and we usually see them alive and it was a shock to see the whale that day,” he told Global News.
He then called in the sighting.
Humpback populations in B.C. are now recovering well from the era of industrial whaling.