Young humpback whale found dead off northern Vancouver Island

A young humpback whale has been found dead on the shores of northern Vancouver Island.

Named BCX1847, or Spike after a character in The Land Before Time, she was found Sunday on the north side of Malcolm Island, which is west of Port McNeill, B.C.

She was first documented in 2018 and was seen every year since, often just north of Port Hardy.

Andrew Pinch and his family discovered the whale on Sunday when he and his family were off-roading down to a secluded beach.

They turned the corner and saw a dark shape washed up on the shore.

“It was massive and we usually see them alive and it was a shock to see the whale that day,” he told Global News.

He then called in the sighting.

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Humpback populations in B.C. are now recovering well from the era of industrial whaling.

However, ship strikes and entanglements are the greatest threats facing humpback whales today.

While it is not yet known what caused Spike’s death, without any visual trauma on her body, experts say it was likely a ship strike.

“I’ve heard that in the case of ship strikes, so for whales that are hit by vessels, I’ve heard that perhaps as few as 10 per cent or likely less are ever found,” Erin Gless, executive director for the Pacific Whale Watch Association, told Global News.

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She said they were saddened to hear of the passing of Spike and the young whale was known to them.

“Any loss is sad but it’s even sadder when you’ve come to know that whale as an individual,” she said.

Usually, when humpback whales die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, so Gless said a very small percentage wash up on the shore. This gives them a great opportunity to examine the whale, find out what happened and hopefully prevent future deaths.

Caitlin Birdsall, director of development at the Marine Education and Research Society, said Spike now has the opportunity to become an ambassador for her species.

“We don’t yet know what happened to Spike but it could be possible, being a young animal, there could have been something like vessel strike, or an entanglement, or she may have had a disease or she may have been not feeding right for some reason or another,” she said.

While Spike’s body was bloated and distended Wednesday, due to the buildup of gases as she decayed, it is hoped that the knowledge learned from her death will help save and cultivate humpback populations in B.C.’s waters.