Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is currently looking into the demise of another grey whale in British Columbia. The body of a grey whale was discovered on a beach in a remote part of Haida Gwaii on May 24. The DFO’s marine mammal response team is en route to the site to collect samples and determine the cause of death. This incident marks the eighth known case of a grey whale fatality in British Columbia this year, contributing to a concerning increase in deaths within the population due to apparent starvation.
During a webinar organized by the Marine Education and Research Society to discuss the challenges faced by grey whales, DFO marine mammal coordinator Paul Cottrell disclosed the latest fatality. Cottrell expressed alarm at the situation, suggesting that the actual number of deaths might be higher than what has been documented. He highlighted the challenges of monitoring such incidents along the vast and isolated coastline, stating, “We don’t catch all of our dead whales.”
Cottrell indicated that this year’s death toll could surpass the previous record set in 2019 when 11 grey whales were found deceased in British Columbia. Notably, DFO has responded to four dead whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island within a 10-day period this year. The necropsies conducted on these whales are expected to yield results in approximately one month.
Researchers have attributed the starvation of migrating grey whales to a significant decline in available prey in the Arctic region. The grey whale population, estimated at just under 13,000, has been steadily decreasing. Since 2019, a total of 40 grey whale fatalities have been recorded in British Columbia. In 2019, a global spike in grey whale deaths was observed, with 216 reported fatalities, leading to the declaration of an unusual mortality event.
John Calambokidis, a research biologist at Cascadia Research Collective, reported that 23 dead grey whales have been found off the coast of Washington state this year. He emphasized that the documented cases represent only a fraction of the actual deaths, with many whales likely perishing offshore or sinking without being recorded. The grey whale population in the eastern North Pacific was flagged as a species of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and has been listed under the federal Species at Risk Act since 2005.
Jackie Hildering from the Marine Education and Research Society is advocating for all grey whales to be classified as endangered in Canada to ensure their protection. She stressed the need for legislative measures, research funding, and educational initiatives to safeguard the grey whale population.