BC Ferries thinks it hit a humpback whale for the second time this summer
BC Ferries suspects that one of its vessels has hit a whale for the second time this summer. Now, the company is sharing what it plans to do in the future to keep whales safe in BC’s waters.
August 29 incident
According to BC Ferries, an “unusually high population of whales” was noted on the Northern Expedition’s route. The vessels as operating at a slower speed in the area, near Mosley Point in the Inside Passage, as a precaution.
On August 29, a humpback whale surfaced ahead of the vessel, which was travelling from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. While crews put the engines in reverse, they “suspect they made vessel contact with the whale,” said BC Ferries.
Crews reported the incident to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Now, BC Ferries is reaching out to local First Nations to talk about the incident and ways that they can “we can work together to ensure our coastal waters are safe for marine life,” said BC Ferries.
BC Ferries’ whale policies
BC Ferries has a policy for vessel operation in the presence of marine mammals. Standard practice is that vessels slow down in the presence of whales that are ahead of them and in their path.
All bridge vessel teams go through a mandatory “Whales in our Waters: safe navigation in the presence of marine mammalsâ tutorial, and BC Ferries has participated in the BC Cetacean Sightings Network for 45 years now.
The second incident this summer
This recent incident is the second one to occur this summer. The Northern Expedition also “likely made contact with a whale” while sailing in the Wright Sound on July 20.
BC Ferries said it was “devastating not only to the crew involved but to BC Ferries as a company.” The crew alerted Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and BC Ferries is cooperating with its review.
“Our employees share a deep love for our coastal waters and its inhabitants and are always looking at ways and partnerships that increase our commitment to marine life in our coastal waters,” said BC Ferries.
The future of whale safety with BC Ferries
BC Ferries says it intends to collaborate with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans researchers to leverage technological advances, including hydrophones and infrared cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to help with the early detection of marine mammals.
The company says it’s actively working with industry partners to “seek additional technological tools to improve monitoring and detection.”
Follow Channels and Categories