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.
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I can say with certainty that anyone who’s encountered a whale here, whether at Whale Point, the Wall, onboard the Elemiah, or otherwise, knows that there is a deeper meaning to the word “whale” than the Oxford English Dictionary’s very dry“a very large marine mammal with a streamlined hairless body, a horizontal tail fin, and a blowhole on top of the head for breathing.”
The silence settled around us comfortably as we tried to absorb the sights and sounds engulfing every cell of our bodies. The sun began to set and the whales continued to come, fluking into the golden light and disappearing into the ocean’s depths as the sun sunk lazily below the horizon. As the light began to fade and the stars began to shine, the whales’ breath continued to punctuate the spell of the silent night. It was difficult to truly comprehend what was happening that night, as each of us tried to really feel this moment, one which no doubt would stay with us all for years to come.
It must have been a miscalculation on her part because as the tide went out, she found herself stuck and unable to move.
