Oct. 18
1:41 pm
My Howe Sound neighbour’s excitement turned to concern.
“I see orange and the usual air spew. Maybe a seal kill?
Oh no! Maybe entangled in orange fishing gear.
It is alive and tossing and turning and air spewing.
Not normal ferry sail past behaviour.”
2:31 pm
“Are they still around? I ask, just seeing the message and moving to my deck to scan the water with my binoculars.”
“It was around where the ferry says 16, 16 (a pre-docking announcement at the Langdale, Sunshine Coast terminus).
“Do they think a whale was hit?”
2:40 pm
“I talked to a person at DFO right away, possibly a biologist.
Vessel strike they think.
That bright colour was blood.
One of the boats out there is DFO.
It was puffing air spews like an athlete, not that slow and easy puff pattern.
I feel sad.”
Every toss and turn it makes, a visible large patch of orange-red colour shows. Feeling sad is an understatement to describe emotions when watching a dying whale. Although we don’t 100% know that the whale is dying, the reality is obvious to us and many other locals on shore and on the passengers on the BC Ferries ship that hit the whale.
Life in the sound
We live on the shores of west Howe Sound at a place where the shoreline folds several times towards the open waters of the Strait of Georgia. This is the area the descriptors herald as part of the Salish Sea. Depending on the time of year, even the time of day, the Britannia Range of the coastal mountains visible on the opposite north shore of West Vancouver, the islands, and waters between here and there, showcase a tapestry of shifting shadow, colour and pattern in the mountain folds and peaks. The view reveals a mix of working boats, recreational and pleasure craft. Not so busy in the fall, but year-round there is life in the sound. I can enjoy the view from my deck although it is fine to watch nature from a log or beach trail. Best part, it is free or perhaps the cost is hidden. Years of conservation dollars and paid and volunteer human hours restored previously contaminated waters and coastal areas after mining, pulp and paper, and other industries failed to safeguard the natural conditions over one-hundred plus years of pioneer extraction.
That was before my time here. For the thirty years spent here, I am the fortunate recipient of the rebound. And, for the past two years especially, the sightings of whales (Orca, Humpback, Grey), dolphins, porpoise, seals, sealions has been incredible. 2026 might have produced sightings of whales either in Howe Sound or close in Georgia Strait daily.
The species of whale hit was a Humpback. Passengers on the ferry when the whale was hit confirm. Conversation about the incident is discussed on the local Meta community group Sunshine Coast Whale and Dolphin Sightings community page which has 23k members. It was a scene not to be unseen.
Now the Sound feels silent without the whale’s presence. The next day, the day after, and another night and dawn pass while we wait on more news. And the scene plays out in the mind like a movie in slow motion, over and over all the while hoping for a different finale.
After the catastrophic vessel strike, death of the whale was inevitable and confirmed when the body resurfaced and washed up on the rocky shores near the place it was hit. The whale’s impressive mass in life is poignantly evident in in its decomposing state. The dead whale had a name Notcho. Hearing his name prompts a flurry of research that uncovers facts about the whales in these waters.
A Salish Sea Humpback Catalogue produced by Ashley Bachert of the NGO group Ocean Wise includes about 500 individuals. https://static.ocean.org/oceanorg/2026/03/Humpback-Catalogue-2026_digital.pdf
The catalogue builds on past documentation done under the Department of Fisheries and Ocean. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/humpback-rorqual-a-bosse/photos/index-eng.html
One can find interesting facts such as Salish Sea Humpbacks on the various web pages. They grow to 40 to 50 feet (12.2 to 15.2 meters) with some individuals about 10% larger. They weight an astonishing 40,00 to 80,000 pounds (20 to 40 tonnes) and have a lifespan of nearly 50 years with some reaching 70 years or more, unless interrupted by untimely occurrences. Thanks to numerous sources, facts and information about behaviour is plentiful.
It’s the end of October, and the whales that are still here will be migrating soon to warmer waters south. Sadly, Notcho won’t be on the journey. My neighbour and I are not the only ones grieved by that. We hear word that the Squamish Nation has requested the Coast Guard tow his body to the village of Xwemelch’stn (Capilano) in West Vancouver. They plan to honour Notcho through cultural practices.
Existing regulations on speed limits and distance are spelled out by DFO and Transport Canada, but widespread knowledge and limitations on enforcement weaken those guidelines. NGO’s that have whales in their mandate are making pleas for enhanced protection. Vancouver Island Whale Society (VIWS) recommends “their presence should never be treated as unexpected.”
The VIWS and others call for added precautions such as greater slowing of vessels when whales are known to be in the area, remaining at a safe distance that increases with increased boats in the perimeter, improved education, and reducing underwater noise.
Any protection and precautionary measures would be welcomed news. Even with the rise in frequency for us on our decks, the sudden glimpse of whales and other sea life inhabiting Howe Sound awakens a sense of wonder as though they were a first-time sighting. We won’t ever take their presence for granted.
Resources
BCWhales.org
DFO
Transport Canada
Vancouver Island Whale Society
photo: @T. Crocker - Humpbacks further north in the Salish Sea
Ocean.org