A whale was seen swimming near Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach on Sunday morning, splashing around and making itself known to those out for a stroll. Video of the whale shows it emerging fin first and splashing around after spouting water into the air. Small sailing vessels were seen nearby, and onlookers took in the show from the rocky coastline. A local woman tells CTV News this isn’t the first time she’s seen the whale, adding that it usually graces the area with its presence between 8 and 9 a.m. It isn’t uncommon to see a whale on B.C.’s coastline, but locals have been reporting sightings more often lately as waterways get busier and temperatures rise heading into summer. Canada’s federal government expanded protections for endangered whales on June 1, with an interim order from Transport Canada asking all vessels to stay at least 1,000 metres away from southern resident killer whales in southern B.C. coastal waters, more than doubling the previous 400-metre approach distance. Federal officials say the approach is designed to reduce disturbance to southern resident killer whales while maintaining safe, reliable movement of goods and people through one of Canada’s busiest marine corridors. With files from CTV News Vancouver Island’s Megan Yamoah
