Remembering Wisp

kc dyer
1 hour ago
3 min read

The loss of young humpback troubling

A small group of Lions Bay residents gathered at Kelvin Grove Beach on Thursday to mark the death of a young humpback whale.

The whale's body was found near Keats Island on October 26, and is being investigated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) identified the whale as Wisp (BCY1464), a whale born in 2021 to Ghost (BCX1333). A Hello Ferry reported striking a whale the previous week, but MERS indicated in a post on social media that it was a Prince of Whales whale-watching vessel responsible for the strike that killed Wisp.

In a statement on social media, Prince of Whales says they are devastated by the tragic loss of Wisp.

"Earlier this week, we were deeply saddened to learn that a deceased humpback whale was found on Keats Island in Howe Sound, near the site where one of our vessels made unexpected contact with a humpback whale last Thursday afternoon.

We were not actively viewing any whales on that afternoon's tour, and it suddenly surfaced directly in the vessel’s path. Although our vessel performed an emergency stop maneuver, contact with the whale was made."

Humpback whales have protected status. They have an average lifespan of around 50 years and can live as long as 90.

Lions Bay resident Ann Marie McKenzie, who organized the beach memorial event, said she did so to offer the space to members of the community who were mourning the death of the whale. "As someone who has experienced significant loss, I’ve learned that ceremony helps us process grief in a meaningful way," she said.

For those unable to attend, McKenzie offers suggestions for honouring the whales online.

Other local residents who attended spoke of the need to ensure responsible use of the waters of Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound in order to protect marine animals.

"We all have a responsibility to be stewards of this planet; to protect all the species that live in parallel with us," said Village resident Leslie Nolin. " We have made it unsafe for many other species to simply exist and if we do not collectively carry the weight of that responsibility, nothing will change."

Penny Nelson, a member of the Bear Smart and Bird Friendly committees, noted that the death of an animal, especially when it's a whale, a bear or another wildlife neighbour, often touches people very deeply.

She called for improved regulations.

"My hope is this very sad loss will lead to changes that will improve protection for other whales," she said. "In Lions Bay we can see these boats chasing after whales daily, sometimes in droves, usually at speed and often too close. Calls to DFO have had no effect, but maybe after so many tragedies in a short space of time the public outcry will bring about new regulations and better enforcement of existing rules."

A spokesperson for MERS said that their organization seeks to help increase knowledge of cetacean behaviour and to counter misinformation. "So much can be done to reduce the risk of collision and it starts with knowing humpback behaviour and what they are doing off the coast."

MERS offers a free online whale-safe boating course HERE.