We were very saddened to hear about the death of a young whale in Port McNeill, which was reported on May 14. The young whale, pictured here, was identified as a young Bryde’s whale (pronounced BROO-duss), a surprise to many of us, as this is not a species that is typically found this far north.
The whale was discovered by a local resident who notified the Marine Education & Research Society (MERS), who then promptly informed the ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) via the Marine Mammal Incident Reporting Line.
On Thursday, May 15, a blessing ceremony was held by Hereditary Chief Ernest Alfred to honour the whale. Today, May 16, a necropsy took place to help determine the cause of death.
We are honoured and grateful to the ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation, who have gifted the remains of this whale to us at the Whale Interpretive Centre. The whale will live on to promote education and conservation in our newly rebuilt facility. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to share this whale’s story with the world. Thank you.
Bryde’s whales are typically found in tropical to warm temperate waters. They are baleen whales, like Minke whales, and prey primarily on small schooling fish and zooplankton. This species can reach a length of 12-15 metres; this individual being just a juvenile is about half the size of a fully grown adult. The cause of death is not yet known.
Natural History Wanderings 