Losing Midnight
On September 17th, we lost Midnight.
At 9pm we received word that a humpback whale had been stuck by BC Ferries enroute to Prince Rupert, close to Hartley Bay and the Fin Island Research Station. It was unknown if the whale was injured or had lost its life. At first light the next morning, Grace and Laurie were on the boat searching, stopping for every whale to look for signs of injury, hopeful that the whale was still alive. While they searched, Janie was in communication with members of the Gitga’at Oceans and Land Department, Gitga’at Guardians, Hermann of the Pacific Whale Society, Paul Cottrell, and the coastguard, relaying real-time updates of the search as she received them.
At 10:30am – Grace and Laurie saw what was unmistakably the struck whale, floating dead at the surface and in direct line of sight to where the strike occurred. The humpback whale was Midnight (BCX1940), a long-time resident male whale, bubble net feeder, and companion to many whales within these waters.
Very quickly, Brodie Danes of the Gitga’at Guardians as well as the team on the coastguard vessel the Cadboro Bay arrived to help us relocate Midnight to a beach where a necropsy can occur. By 3pm, Midnight was secured on shore.
This was an incredibly emotional day for our team. We know the whales here by name, and as unique individuals. Losing any whale is a loss of unique knowledge and culture in the population. At this time of year, male humpback whales begin to sing in these waters. It dawned on us that we would never again hear Midnight sing.
Wright Sound, the area where Midnight was struck, is known for being incredibly dense with both humpback and fin whales during the summer and fall. BC Ferries did the right thing by reporting this strike immediately, but it is clear that more needs to be done to protect whales from vessel strikes in these waters. Slow down zones, especially for large vessels, would be the best place to start.
We are comforted in knowing that Midnights story is not lost, and hopefully can help to enact positive change for whales to ensure the habitats they rely on are safe for them in the future.
Related Posts
The results were harrowing, even for our own scientists leading this investigation. Numbers were double checked, triple checked, and came back the same. By the year 2030, up to 2 fin whales and 18 humpback whales are predicted to be killed annually from being hit by large ships.
The humpback whales we have known for decades are beginning to arrive back to our region after the long migration from either Mexico or Hawaii, hopefully a few with new calves! Fin whales have rebounded in this region over the last decade, and we are now beginning to recognize familiar individuals from year to year.
Travelling over glassy waters along the Pitt Island shoreline, anticipation was building in my chest until, from a distance, I saw unmistakable sleek black dorsal fins pierce the water’s surface. As we slowly approached, I couldn’t help but continue to wonder who would be in the group. The ability to distinguish individual whales and get to know each of their personalities is what initially captivated me and inspired my dream to be able to study whales in the wild.
