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
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.