Whales

Conservation groups want the federal government to preserve fin whales’ threatened status and act on outstanding measures to protect them. (Photo by Jackie Hildering / Marine Education and Research Society)

At-risk fin whales are in hot water with protection downgrade, LNG, and climate change

Shipping traffic set to increase in 2025

  • Nov 14, 2022
Conservation groups want the federal government to preserve fin whales’ threatened status and act on outstanding measures to protect them. (Photo by Jackie Hildering / Marine Education and Research Society)
The Marine Detective Jackie Hildering wades into the water next to the humpback. (Emily Cowie/MERS photo)

‘Absolutely gutting’: Mourning the death of Spike the humpback whale

Observers suspect whale may have died from blunt force trauma after being hit by a boat

The Marine Detective Jackie Hildering wades into the water next to the humpback. (Emily Cowie/MERS photo)
A humpback whale is seen just outside of Hartley Bay along the Great Bear Rainforest, B.C. Tuesday, Sept, 17, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. rescue team and whale’s acrobatics help save it from dangerous entanglement

Complicated extended operation frees humpback in Georgia Strait

A humpback whale is seen just outside of Hartley Bay along the Great Bear Rainforest, B.C. Tuesday, Sept, 17, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A young female Humpback whale named ‘Spike’ was found dead off Malcolm Island. (Jared Towers photo)

Young female humpback whale ‘Spike’ found dead off Vancouver Island

Officials still investigating cause of whale’s death

A young female Humpback whale named ‘Spike’ was found dead off Malcolm Island. (Jared Towers photo)
A new study says the population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales continued its downward trend this year, partly because only 15 calves were born in 2022. (Photo by The Canadian Press)

Population of North Atlantic right whales continues decline

Decline of North Atlantic whale has slowed, but it continues

A new study says the population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales continued its downward trend this year, partly because only 15 calves were born in 2022. (Photo by The Canadian Press)
The location of the future whale sanctuary. (Image courtesy of The Whale Sanctuary Project)

Nova Scotia’s retirement home for captive whales facing obstacles, delays: documents

North America’s first coastal refuge is at least 5 years behind schedule

The location of the future whale sanctuary. (Image courtesy of The Whale Sanctuary Project)
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

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

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

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,