Grey whale tangled in fishing gear off Tofino prompts search by DFO
The survival of a migrating grey whale spotted off Tofino, B.C., on Thursday hangs in the balance after photos showed fishing gear wrapped around the mammal's body.
Images posted to social media show a large grey whale entangled in rope and also dragging a floating buoy.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada was alerted to the issue Thursday afternoon after a group of whale-watching operators spotted and photographed the distressed mammal.
"The problem with towing gear is that it’s likely going to pick up more gear. That’s the issue,” said Paul Cottrell with the federal marine mammal response team.
Fisheries officers are already searching for the whale and on Friday morning a specialized team trained in disentanglement were mobilizing on the mainland to travel to Tofino.
Cottrell, who leads the team, says he is especially worried because it appears the fishing gear is wrapped around the whale's mouth.
He says it could impact the animal's ability to forage and eat, which is critical as the ocean giant migrates north towards Alaskan waters.
Cottrell says it’s unclear what type of fishing gear is hampering the whale's movements, but admits coastal waters are full of errant equipment.
The search is the second of its kind in the past two weeks for the disentanglement team.
Last week, they rushed to the waters off Prince Rupert, B.C., for a report of an entangled grey whale.
It has not been spotted again.
Anyone who sees an entangled or distressed whale is asked to call the DFO's 24-hour marine mammal hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.