A Prince of Whales whalewatching boat hit a humpback whale on Thursday after it \u201csuddenly and unexpectedly\u201d surfaced in the boat\u2019s path, the company says.<\/p>\n
On the afternoon on Oct. 23, the Prince of Whales boat was transiting near Vancouver when the whale surfaced, and the captain took a decisive maneuver to try and avoid the whale.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the vessel was able to stop almost immediately, there was minimal contact with the whale during the maneuver,\u201d the company said in a statement to CHEK News. <\/p>\n
\u201cAfterward, our on-board naturalists reported witnessing that the whale surfaced to breathe, then swam away, surfacing at normal intervals. There was no noticeable damage to the whale or the vessel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prince of Whales says the tour was not actively viewing the whale that was hit, \u201cso this was a surprise encounter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to the sudden stopping, several on board passengers fell.<\/p>\n
\u201cA handful were injured, and our trained crew members immediately administered first aid to those affected,\u201d the statement says. <\/p>\n
\u201cThree passengers required additional treatment from Emergency Medical Services, who were standing by upon the vessel\u2019s return to Vancouver. We are in communication with the injured guests and have provided full refunds for all passengers on Thursday\u2019s tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prince of Whales notes it immediately informed Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) of the strike, which is required by law, and the coast guard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an exceedingly rare event and we are very appreciative for the decisive actions of our crew, and for the gracious support and understanding of our guests,\u201d the statement says.<\/p>\n
Incident highlights importance of education for boaters: MERS<\/p>\n
Jackie Hildering, humpback researcher with Marine Education & Research Society (MERS), says the fact that trained whale-watching boaters were involved in a whale strike hightlights why it\u2019s important for boaters to be educated on humpbacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a whale watcher or a researcher can hit a humpback with their expertise of the animals, then it certainly indicates what the risk is to many others,\u201d Hildering said in a Zoom interview. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many things that can be done because there is so much misunderstanding about humpbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hildering likens the strikes to when elk are hit by drivers, where it is sometimes unavoidable.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could do things like get signage out, be aware of the behaviour of the animals, know what to do if there is collision, but, you could be an elk biologist and hit an elk,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are limitations, as there are on highways, that if you\u2019re in a narrow area, or there\u2019s a cliff, like if we\u2019re using the metaphor, then you can\u2019t change direction quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hildering says it is believed that the highest density of humpbacks are in the summertime, but research shows it is actually in the fall when larger numbers of the whales are in the Salish Sea.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are concentrated in these areas where they know the tides and can suddenly surface, so it starts with education,\u201d Hildering says. <\/p>\n