Rare tropical whale dies on the first-ever sighting of Vancouver Island in British Columbia
This marks the first record of a whale recorded in British Columbia waters, an area north of its usual habitat.
The whale is more than seven meters long and was originally discovered by resident walking dogs. Experts from the Society for Marine Education and Research (MERS) identified it as a whale in Bryde and pointed out the species’ three parallel ridges unique to its upper and lower jaws.
“This is the only Bled whale seen in British Columbia waters,” confirmed MERS researcher Jackie Hildering.
‘na̱mg̱is First Nation territory, including areas where whales were found, expressed deep concern about the incident.
Chief Victor Isaac said: “The First Nation of Namgis is very sad about the climate crisis and the health of our oceans.” He stressed the community’s commitment to understanding events and becoming the manager of their environment, or “awi’nakola.” Plan to determine the cause of the death of the undead. Preliminary observations show that there are no signs of malnutrition or external harm, such as the sign of a ship strike.
“There is absolutely nothing outside the whale to know how it got back here and why it died,” Hildering said.
The incident comes after the recent discovery of two dead gray whales on the BC coast, raising concerns about the health of marine life in the region. However, researchers warned against making direct connections between these events. Hildering notes that “a data point is not a trend”, emphasizing the need for comprehensive research.
In a gesture of commemorating the lives of whales and promoting education, the “Namigus First Nation” donated the whale’s body to the Whale Interpretation Center in Telegraph Bay, where on New Year’s Eve, Whale Bay suffered a devastating fire.
Hildering thanked and said: “So, not only can we learn from this poor whale here… but its skeleton and Baleen will also be in the new Whale Interpretation Center to make it count to the future.”
The emergence of Brad whales so far is unprecedented and prompts questions about changing the state of the ocean and its impact on marine species.
