On May 14, a man walking his dog along the shores of Port McNeill Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C., stumbled across the washed-up body of a Bryde’s whale—possibly the first-ever sighting of the species in B.C.
From initial photographs, the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of marine life, believed the animal was a minke whale, occasionally seen in coastal waters off B.C. during summer months. This was due to the whale’s appearance and size.
But when MERS arrived on scene, they noticed that the whale lacked the minke whale’s telltale white bands on its flippers (known as minke mittens). That’s when they identified it as a Bryde’s whale.
“This is the only Bryde’s whale that has ever been seen in British Columbian waters with all the collective knowledge through First Nations and through the DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans),” said Jackie Hildering, MERS’ communications director, in an interview.
Far from home: two minke whales spotted in Montreal waters
A member of the baleen whale species, Bryde’s whales have been nicknamed “tropical whales” due to their preference for waters of 16 degrees Celsius or warmer. They’ve been spotted in locations around the globe, keeping to tropical and sub-tropical climates, such as New Zealand, South Africa, the Gulf of Thailand, and Brazil. In North America, it’s rare that Bryde’s whales travel north of Los Angeles.
“The rarity of this species appearing so far north makes this event particularly significant,” said the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation in a statement. MERS notified the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation of the whale’s death as Port McNeill Bay falls within the band’s traditional territory.
With support from Canada’s DFO and a team of marine biologists out of Alert Bay, MERS conducted a necropsy on the Bryde’s whale. Typically, whales sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die, so this animal provided a unique research opportunity.
The whale’s size indicated that it was a young male. A full-grown Bryde’s whale can reach 16.5 metres, but this one was only seven metres.
New underwater microphones will help protect B.C. whales
Researchers also discovered thin sections of blubber on the whale’s underside, with some of it reddened. They theorized that this was due to blood profusion. The whale was using fat from its blubber to maintain its normal functions.
Despite these discoveries, there was no obvious cause of death. The researchers took samples from the whale’s blubber, fecal matter, intestines, and other areas to screen for different toxins, parasites, and viruses. These samples have been shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S., and any findings will be released to researchers around the world.
While the Bryde’s whale is a rare sight so far north, it isn’t the first whale to die on Canadian shores this year. As of March 29, three grey whales had been found dead in B.C. Each were separate incidents. The NOAA declared an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) for grey whales between 2019 and 2023 due to the number that had washed up dead along the west coast of North America. In total, 690 grey whales were found dead during that period. The NOAA said that malnutrition was a common cause of death.
Currently, there is no known connection between the Bryde’s whale and the three dead grey whales found this year.
“‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation is very sad and concerned with the climate crisis and the health of our oceans,” said Chief Victor Isaac, in a statement. “We will work with all parties to determine what has happened to this individual and hopefully come to better understand how to be the best stewards of our a̱wi’nakola—our environment.”
The ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation will donate the Bryde’s whale’s skeleton to the Whale Interpretive Centre in Telegraph Cove, B.C.
Related Story Research with Belinda the sea sponge reveals surprising underwater secrets
Related Story Renowned B.C. whale museum looking to rebuild after devastating New Year’s Eve fire
Related Story Researchers discover a new way to determine a whale’s sex