SEATTLE — After nearly seven months of uncertainty, a young humpback whale believed to have been struck by a ferry near Vancouver last fall has been seen alive in the Salish Sea.

The Pacific Whale Watch Association said the one-year-old whale, known as “Skipper,” was photographed earlier this week by the crew of Puget Sound Express near Whidbey Island, Washington.

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Whale watchers had been concerned about Skipper’s fate after the whale was believed to have been struck by the Hullo ferry near Vancouver, B.C., on Oct. 17, 2025.

On Oct. 20, 2025, naturalist Sara Jenkins of Wild Whales Vancouver photographed humpback BCX1193 “Zig Zag” and her calf, Skipper, a few miles from the scene of the incident. Skipper had a deep wound behind her dorsal fin consistent with a recent ship strike, and the injury was not present when the calf was seen Oct. 16, the day before the strike.

Given the location and timing, it is presumed Skipper was the whale struck by the passenger ferry.

Skipper appeared to be healing when she was last photographed near Orcas Island, Washington, on Dec. 6, 2025, by Sophia Madden of Outer Island Excursions, but there had been no sightings since.

Because humpback whales typically leave the Salish Sea each winter for breeding grounds in Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America, the whale watching community was left wondering whether Skipper had succumbed to her injuries or migrated south.

During this week’s encounter, Skipper was observed breaching and diving normally, according to the association. Photos from the encounter also showed what appeared to be deep scarring near the whale’s tail, which the association said is indicative of a previous entanglement in fishing gear.

“Ship strike and entanglement are the two primary threats to local humpback whales,” said Erin Gless, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association. “The fact that Skipper has likely dealt with both before reaching her second birthday is heartbreaking. We hope Skipper can continue to heal and grow while here in the Salish Sea.”

According to reports from shore-based observers in the Orca Network Community Group, a public Facebook group that shares real-time whale sightings from around Washington’s Puget Sound, Skipper was last seen near Olympia, Washington, on Wednesday, June 24.

With more humpbacks arriving in the region every day, Gless encouraged boaters to stay vigilant and watch for signs of whales nearby, including spouts, splashing, bird activity or nearby whale-watching vessels.