A humpback whale has died following a collision with the BC Ferries vessel “Northern Expedition.” Researchers are conducting a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
The ferry crew reported the strike on Wednesday in Wright Sound, south of Prince Rupert.
Local First Nations and researchers found the animal’s body nearby on Thursday morning and towed it to an island, where it was identified as a male known by researchers as “Midnight.”
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“Where this strike occurred is also a really critical vessel transit lane,” Grace Baer, research and project manager at North Coast Cetacean Society, told Global News.
“BC Ferries is going through there. All commercial boats that go up the inside passage all come through this pinch point where, during the summer and fall, there is a huge number of humpbacks and fin whales.”
In a statement, BC Ferries said it takes its responsibility to marine life seriously and that bridge crews undergo Whales in our Waters training. The fleet also participates in the Whale Report Alert system.
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