A humpback whale was discovered lifeless off the coast of British Columbia following a reported collision by a ferry crew.
BC Ferries revealed that the crew of the Northern Expedition encountered a tragic incident when they struck a whale in Wright Sound near Prince Rupert on Wednesday.
Promptly alerting federal authorities, local First Nations, and researchers, BC Ferries took swift action following the collision. Subsequently, a deceased whale was located in the vicinity around 10:30 a.m. the following day.
Officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada are set to oversee a necropsy procedure to determine the cause of death for the whale.
The Northern Expedition, a 151-meter vessel launched in 2009 with a capacity for 638 passengers and 115 vehicles, operates on BC Ferries’ northern routes, navigating through open waters, including the route connecting Prince Rupert and Port Hardy, B.C.