Second dead humpback in two weeks found in B.C. waters, DFO investigating

A humpback whale is seen just outside of Hartley Bay along the Great Bear Rainforest, B.C. on Sept. 17, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Fisheries officials are investigating the death of a humpback whale found near B.C.’s Lasqueti Island, the second whale to be found deceased in local waters in just a matter of weeks.

The whale has been identified as a humpback named Polyphemus who was first spotted in 2004 and was known to migrate between provincial waters and Hawaii, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a statement Monday.

“This is an unfortunate incident, and we are working to better understand what happened,” the DFO said.

Numbers of humpback whales have been on the increase along the coast, with strikes from vessels being one of the primary threats.

While the cause of death for this humpback remains unknown, DFO said the incident is a reminder for everyone to report possible occurrences of whales being harassed or disturbed, and instances of collision with whales or whale entanglements.

Anyone who witnesses such an incident are asked to call DFO’s hotline at 1-800-465-4336, or via email at: [e-mail].

“Be whale wise — it is everyone’s responsibility to know the rules around marine mammal interactions,” the DFO said, adding how illegal activity regarding the treatment of local marine life may be subject to “severe penalties.”

The DFO is still in the midst of an investigation into the death of four-year-old humpback whale Wisp, who washed ashore on Keats Island just last month. The whale, suspected to have been struck by a tour vessel in Howe Sound, has since sparked a cry for safer waters and better protection of marine life from local advocates.

In the weeks prior to Wisp’s death, another young humpback was seen with a deep gash on its back after a ferry strike in Vancouver’s English Bay.