'Humpback comeback': Whale researchers say species making dramatic return to B.C. waters
Humpback whales are making a significant comeback in the waters around Vancouver Island and northern Washington state, according to researchers at the Pacific Whale Watch Association.
Calling it a “humpback comeback,” researchers at the agency say the number of humpbacks in the Salish Sea has increased exponentially since a single whale was spotted in the region over 20 years ago.
“Since whale researchers first documented a single humpback whale in 1997, the humpback whales that migrate each summer to feed in the nutrient-rich waters of the Salish Sea now number in the hundreds,” the whale watch association said in a statement Tuesday.
The researchers say 2021 is proving no different, with the documented return of famed whale “Big Mama” and three of her calves.
The whale watch association says Big Mama is a “pioneer and significant contributor to this population increase,” giving birth to six calves that have returned to the inland waters of B.C. since 2003.
“When Big Mama arrived in late April 2021, the whale watch community was extremely excited to see her return, as she often marks the beginning of the humpback whale watching season throughout the region,” the association said. “Dozens more humpbacks have arrived since then, and this past week, something happened that had the whale watch and research community abuzz.”
The buzz arose when Big Mama was reportedly spotted on Saturday, feeding alongside three of her calves in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, south of Victoria.
“Humpback whales are not known to have close family ties, leaving their mothers at less than a year old,” the Pacific Whale Watch Association said. “The fact that three siblings were seen in such close proximity to each other has piqued the interest of humpback whale researchers.”
Big Mama was sighted for the first time in 1997 by a skipper with Prince of Whales Whale Watching near Race Rocks, southwest of Victoria. According to researchers, she was the first humpback spotted in the strait in nearly a century.
Since then, more than 500 humpbacks have been documented and cataloged in the Salish Sea, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.