Trail guardians spotted the dead humpback 21 kilometres north of the Pachena Bay trailhead, along the beach.
The cause of death of a humpback whale found on the shoreline near the West Coast Trail this week is under investigation.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it received a report of a dead whale on Sunday, and department scientists conducted a necropsy of the whale. DFO is now waiting for results.
It’s the fourth humpback whale reported dead in B.C. this year. Ten grey whales have also been found dead, nearly surpassing the record of 11 for the entire year in 2019.
A recent surge in sightings of orcas, humpbacks and other cetaceans in the Salish Sea has been attributed to a rich food supply this year, but experts say the deaths of so many grey whales point to a poorer food supply in their northern feeding grounds of Alaska.
John Jack, executive chief councillor of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, said trail guardians spotted the dead humpback 21 kilometres north of the Pachena Bay trailhead, along the beach.
Trail guardians, employed by the nation as stewards of the land in collaboration with Parks Canada staff, are often the first people on the scene when whales and other wildlife are found dead on the shore, he said.
“What matters to us at this point is finding out why the whale died,” said Jack, noting that an increase in whale sightings and deaths this year is prompting the nation to remind boaters to be vigilant and maintain a safe distance.
“We care about the state of the whales because we have a relationship with them,” Jack said. “They helped sustain us before contact.”
Humpback whales are important to Huu-ay-aht people, who have many uses for whale bones, said Jack.
He said he would consider asking to keep the skeleton once he knows how the whale died.
The nation is co-ordinating with DFO to decide what will happen to the carcass once the cause of death is determined, Jack said.