No answers yet about dead whales on coast
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says necropsies have now been completed on two whales found dead last week on separate beaches on B.C.’s coast.
However, the reports are still being prepared and details of how they died have not been released.
DFO spokesperson Janine Malikian said necropsies on the orca whale found on Nootka Island last Wednesday and the humpback whale found on Friday near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal causeway were completed Friday night.
They were performed by Stephen Raverty, veterinary pathologist with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, assisted by DFO Marine Mammal Response staff.
“Reports on the results of this work will be prepared and released at a later date once a full assessment has been completed,” she said, in an email.
On Friday, the Tsawwassen First Nation held a ceremony to honour the dead humpback whale that washed ashore. The whale, which appears to be juvenile, was towed away by the Coast Guard for a necropsy. It remains unclear whether the whale — which washed up not far from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal — was hit by a boat, or whether it died from an illness.
Andrea Jacobs, executive council for the Tsawwassen First Nation, said about six members gathered on the beach to hold a traditional Aboriginal ceremony to honour the young whale’s life.
The other whale, a baby orca, was found on Nootka Island Wednesday by a hiker. First Nations there also held a ceremony for the whale on Thursday.