Whales

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.

VIDEO: DFO team rescues entangled humpback whale in Georgia Strait

Distressed whale entangled in a large yellow buoy, was accompanied by two others

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue team completed a humpback whale disentanglement mission on Oct. 14 near Texada Island. The whale on the left was entangled in 300 feet of marine rope and a buoy, used for prawn traps.
A dead whale floats on the shore near Puerto Madryn, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Argentine scientists are determining the reason for at least 13 whales dying in the area in the past few days. (AP Photo/Maxi Jonas)

VIDEO: 13 whales found dead in Argentina cause for concern, say scientists

Scientists waiting for autopsies to determine cause of death

A dead whale floats on the shore near Puerto Madryn, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Argentine scientists are determining the reason for at least 13 whales dying in the area in the past few days. (AP Photo/Maxi Jonas)
Jared Towers photographed this humpback whale and four others in 2018 near Port McNeill, Alert Bay, and Hanson Island. JARED TOWERS PHOTO

Discovery Islands resurfacing as a B.C. humpback hot spot

Gentle giants returning to waters of northeastern Vancouver Island and not just passing through

  • Aug 25, 2022
Jared Towers photographed this humpback whale and four others in 2018 near Port McNeill, Alert Bay, and Hanson Island. JARED TOWERS PHOTO
Southern resident orcas off the shores of Tofino. (Photo credit: John Forde and Jennifer Steven)

$3.1 million pumped into B.C. marine noise reduction as advocates call for targets

Efforts underway to help protect endangered killer whales from increased traffic

  • Aug 18, 2022
Southern resident orcas off the shores of Tofino. (Photo credit: John Forde and Jennifer Steven)
In this aerial image, taken by a drone from the environmental group Sea Shepherd, shows a Beluga whale in the Seine river in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne region, west of Paris, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. French authorities are tracking a Beluga whale that strayed far from its Artic habitat into the Seine River, raising fears that the ethereal white mammal could starve if it stays in the waterway that flows through Paris and beyond. French environmentalists are hoping to feed a catch of herring to a worryingly thin Beluga whale that strayed far from its Arctic habitat into the Seine River. (Sea Shepherd via AP)

Efforts to feed and free Beluga whale stuck in France’s Seine fail so far

Lost Beluga first seen in France’s river, far from its Arctic habitat, last week

In this aerial image, taken by a drone from the environmental group Sea Shepherd, shows a Beluga whale in the Seine river in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne region, west of Paris, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. French authorities are tracking a Beluga whale that strayed far from its Artic habitat into the Seine River, raising fears that the ethereal white mammal could starve if it stays in the waterway that flows through Paris and beyond. French environmentalists are hoping to feed a catch of herring to a worryingly thin Beluga whale that strayed far from its Arctic habitat into the Seine River. (Sea Shepherd via AP)
A young southern resident killer whale (left), shown in a handout photo, spotted swimming in the waters off the west side of Vancouver Island now has a name. The Center for Whale Research based in Washington state says it has dubbed the latest addition to K Pod as K45 after staff spotted it in a tight group with other family members northeast of Race Rocks on Saturday. CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Centre for Whale Research

Researchers name newest baby orca spotted in B.C. waters

K45 is K Pod’s first baby since 2011

A young southern resident killer whale (left), shown in a handout photo, spotted swimming in the waters off the west side of Vancouver Island now has a name. The Center for Whale Research based in Washington state says it has dubbed the latest addition to K Pod as K45 after staff spotted it in a tight group with other family members northeast of Race Rocks on Saturday. CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Centre for Whale Research
Bigg’s killer whale. (Sam Murphy/Island Adventures/PWWA)

VIDEO: Captivating sounds of whales recorded off shore of B.C.

The perfect overlap of circumstances led to a special whale watching experience

Bigg’s killer whale. (Sam Murphy/Island Adventures/PWWA)
Citizen scientists in the Gulf Islands are worried humpback whales are being stressed by too much time with whale watching vessels. (Black Press Media file photo)

Citizen science whale observers worry humpbacks being harassed

One mother whale and her calf followed for upwards of 5 hours a day recently, says volunteer group

  • May 16, 2022
Citizen scientists in the Gulf Islands are worried humpback whales are being stressed by too much time with whale watching vessels. (Black Press Media file photo)
A pod of narwhals surfaces in northern Canada in this August 2005 file photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Inuit hunters fear an upcoming ruling on an Arctic mine expansion could hasten the ongoing decline of a narwhal population that they rely on for food. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kristin Laidre, NOAA

Inuit fear ruling on Arctic mine expansion could hasten ongoing narwhal decline

Hunters and trappers say mine is already harming their ability to harvest the important food source

A pod of narwhals surfaces in northern Canada in this August 2005 file photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Inuit hunters fear an upcoming ruling on an Arctic mine expansion could hasten the ongoing decline of a narwhal population that they rely on for food. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kristin Laidre, NOAA
A boat cruises past a lifeless humpback whale drifting down the St. Lawrence River near Vercheres, Que. on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. The head of a marine mammal research group is confirming that a whale has been spotted in the Montreal area, for the second time in two years. The sighting comes nearly two years after another whale, this time a humpback, spent several days in plain view of curious onlookers in Montreal’s Old Port. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Marine mammal group confirms sighting of wayward minke whale in Montreal area

Researchers not clear why the whale would make such a long journey into a freshwater habitat

A boat cruises past a lifeless humpback whale drifting down the St. Lawrence River near Vercheres, Que. on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. The head of a marine mammal research group is confirming that a whale has been spotted in the Montreal area, for the second time in two years. The sighting comes nearly two years after another whale, this time a humpback, spent several days in plain view of curious onlookers in Montreal’s Old Port. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
A screenshot from a YouTube video shot by John Goodell appears to show a very young calf (second from left) swimming alongside members of the southern resident killer whale’s K-pod. (John Goodell/YouTube)

VIDEO: First calf in a decade spotted swimming with K-pod off Oregon coast

YouTube video shows young calf swimming alongside southern resident killer whales

A screenshot from a YouTube video shot by John Goodell appears to show a very young calf (second from left) swimming alongside members of the southern resident killer whale’s K-pod. (John Goodell/YouTube)
Nuchatlaht First Nation Judae Smith, left, yelps as a wave splashes the team during a marine mammal refloatation exercise at Cox Bay last week. (Nora O’Malley photo)

All hands on deck near Tofino for training session on how to save beached whales

DFO teams up with Coastal First Nations and area marine mammal experts for learning session

Nuchatlaht First Nation Judae Smith, left, yelps as a wave splashes the team during a marine mammal refloatation exercise at Cox Bay last week. (Nora O’Malley photo)
Three beluga whales swim together in an acclimation pool after arriving at Mystic Aquarium, May 14, 2021 in Mystic, Conn. The U.S. government is reviewing the deaths of two beluga whales that were moved from Marineland in Canada to an American aquarium last year. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Mystic Aquarium, File)

U.S. government reviewing deaths of two belugas moved from Canada to Connecticut

DFO approved permits for the whales after receiving an ‘attestation of good health for each beluga’

Three beluga whales swim together in an acclimation pool after arriving at Mystic Aquarium, May 14, 2021 in Mystic, Conn. The U.S. government is reviewing the deaths of two beluga whales that were moved from Marineland in Canada to an American aquarium last year. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Mystic Aquarium, File)
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Response Team members remove baleen from a dead fin whale as they perform a necropsy at Pender Harbour, B.C., in a March 20, 2022, handout photo. The head veterinarian at the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Centre and the Vancouver Aquarium says it is concerning when such rare animals die because it affects the population. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-DFO, Paul Cottrell,

Rare fin whale found dead on remote beach in British Columbia

Exams suggest two-year-old whale was killed by blunt force trauma from a possible vessel strike

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Response Team members remove baleen from a dead fin whale as they perform a necropsy at Pender Harbour, B.C., in a March 20, 2022, handout photo. The head veterinarian at the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Centre and the Vancouver Aquarium says it is concerning when such rare animals die because it affects the population. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-DFO, Paul Cottrell,
On March 1- a new calf in J Pod was discovered. Photo by Centre for Whale Research

New addition to B.C.’s Southern Resident orca family

New baby discovered in the coast’s embattled J-Pod

On March 1- a new calf in J Pod was discovered. Photo by Centre for Whale Research
FILE - Three beluga whales swim together in an acclimation pool after arriving at Mystic Aquarium, May 14, 2021 in Mystic, Conn. The second of five whales brought from Canada to Mystic Aquarium last year for research purposes has died. The aquarium announced on its website that the female had been receiving intensive care for the past several months for multiple health issues but died early Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Mystic Aquarium)

2nd of 5 whales brought from Canada to Mystic Aquarium dies

The two whales were among five brought to Mystic last spring from Marineland in Niagara Falls

FILE - Three beluga whales swim together in an acclimation pool after arriving at Mystic Aquarium, May 14, 2021 in Mystic, Conn. The second of five whales brought from Canada to Mystic Aquarium last year for research purposes has died. The aquarium announced on its website that the female had been receiving intensive care for the past several months for multiple health issues but died early Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Mystic Aquarium)
The most recent Bigg’s killer whale calf, T124A7, breaches the water alongside three adult members of the pod. (Karac Lindsay/Eagle Wing Tours, courtesy of Pacific Whale Watch Association)

2021 brought record whale sightings, including multiple newborns to the Salish Sea

Whale researchers report 21 new humpback calves in the Salish Sea

The most recent Bigg’s killer whale calf, T124A7, breaches the water alongside three adult members of the pod. (Karac Lindsay/Eagle Wing Tours, courtesy of Pacific Whale Watch Association)
A beluga whale that was seen in Puget Sound this month likely came from north of Alaska. (North Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fisheries West Coast Region/Twitter)

DNA analysis: Wayward Puget Sound beluga likely travelled from north of Alaska

Study of skin and fecal remnants helps scientists find it likely came from thousands of miles away

A beluga whale that was seen in Puget Sound this month likely came from north of Alaska. (North Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fisheries West Coast Region/Twitter)
A humpback whale calf breaches the ocean’s surface in fall 2021. (Credit: Val Shore, Eagle Wing Tours, PWWA)

Record number humpback calves spotted off B.C.’s south coast in 2021

21 new calves spotted in Salish Sea so far this year in whale baby boom

A humpback whale calf breaches the ocean’s surface in fall 2021. (Credit: Val Shore, Eagle Wing Tours, PWWA)
A J Pod calf, born Sept. 24, 2020 surfaces next to mother J41. (Talia Goodyear/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association)

B.C. whale-watching guide fined $10,000 for disturbing killer whales

Charges stem from May 2019 incident near Willow Point in Campbell River

  • Oct 21, 2021
A J Pod calf, born Sept. 24, 2020 surfaces next to mother J41. (Talia Goodyear/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association)