Humpback whale washes ashore, dies near Vancouver

3 y/o humpback whale washed ashore at White Rock BC today, dying hours later from what experts are saying has injuries caused by being tangled up in fishing equipment.

On a more positive note, this could be a good sign that humpbacks are returning to the region.

The whale measured 8.5 metres from the head to the base of its fluke, or tail fin, and is thought to be about three years old. The creature had become entangled with heavy nylon line in its mouth, baleen and fluke, and could have suffered for months before dying.

The humpbacks that swim along the B.C. coast migrate to Mexico and Hawaii, Barrett-Lennard noted, so it's anyone's guess where this whale encountered the line or even whether it was used in commercial fishing. "It's heavy multi-stranded monofilament," said Barrett-Lennard. "I have no idea what it is. It doesn't look like anything I've seen associated with fishing gear before."

Anyone know what that stuff might be? Some have been wondering if it could possibly be debris associated with the Tsunami.

He added it was the "most emaciated" humpback he'd ever seen, and it's likely the line prohibited the whale from swimming fast enough or diving deep enough to feed adequately. He took skin samples to check for bacterial infection, but doubted a full necropsy would be conducted.

While grey whales are known to wash ashore in Metro Vancouver from time to time, this is the first such event in recent memory involving a humpback whale and is further evidence of the species' gradual return to local waters. "We know they used to inhabit the Strait of Georgia 100 years ago," said Lance Barrett-Lennard, a marine mammal specialist with the Vancouver Aquarium.

"We see it as a good sign they are using these waters again, but they're still not an everyday sight."While grey whales are known to wash ashore in Metro Vancouver from time to time, this is the first such event in recent memory involving a humpback whale and is further evidence of the species' gradual return to local waters. "We know they used to inhabit the Strait of Georgia 100 years ago," said Lance Barrett-Lennard, a marine mammal specialist with the Vancouver Aquarium.

"We see it as a good sign they are using these waters again, but they're still not an everyday sight."

Federal marine mammal coordinator Paul Cottrell said as their numbers grow in inshore waters "we're seeing more interactions with fishing gear as well." Other threats include depletion of habitats and breeding grounds, noise disturbance, and boat strikes.

www.vancouversun.com...

www.news1130.com...

I'm really intrigued by the part about the guy saying he's never scene this type of "mutlistranded monofiliment". It appears that is a common type of netting, so it makes me wonder what is specific about this one that makes it so unique.

Again, is there a chance it is from Japan?

Any deep sea fisherman out here?

this was the picture I got when I signed onto facebook this morning



I live like 10-15 minutes away, depending on traffic, but honestly,
I can see live whales so I was in no hurry to go down and see this one.

everyone is upset we didn't have like a beached whale rapid response team to extract it back to it's home.

I don't want to sound heartless, but it's one whale, the japanese hunt these things..

Originally posted by yourmaker


I don't want to sound heartless, but it's one whale, the japanese hunt these things..

I can understand your angst.

My interest is that humpbacks havent been seen in this area much in the last 100 years, and I'm curious about the source of the net which likely killed it.

reply to post by stanguilles7

The term "multi-stranded monofilament" is a bit of an oxymoron.

All synthetic line is composed of monofilament fibers (twisted, braided, or a single filament). It doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with fishing. Cargo nets, mooring tackle... there's all kinds of rope out there.

reply to post by Phage


Well, i know nothing about the subject, but teh googles tell me there are three basic types of fishing netting.

Gill nets are the most popular commercial fishing net worldwide. There are many variations of gill nets, but there are normally three different types of netting commonly used.

Multifilament nylon netting is normally white in color and is composed of many very small filaments of nylon twisted together. Multifilament nylon netting is very strong, limber, and soft, and can be dyed. This netting works very well at night and in dark water, but tends to pick up debris in the fibers of the netting.

Monofilament nylon netting is composed of a single strand of nylon similar to the twine used in a rod and reel. Monofilament nylon netting is extremely effective in clear water and during daylight hours, and does not collect much debris in the fibers of the netting, but is somewhat stiffer than multifilament nylon netting.

Multi-Strand Monofilament netting is a cross between multifilament nylon netting and monofilament nylon netting. Multi-strand netting is composed of 3 to 12 strands of monofilament twine loosely twisted together. Multistrand monofilament is softer and more flexible than monofilament netting, and is more effective in clear water than multifilament netting.

www.millernets.com...

if they would only make this fishing life biodegradable , it would stop! a whole lot of problems , makes me sick , to see fishermen take from this earth , and not give anything back

reply to post by stanguilles7

On a more positive note, this could be a good sign that humpbacks are returning to the region.

And the evidence for this is a dead one
Yep really positive news
Maybe it just got lost
Who knows

Cran