North Pacific Right Whale Sighted Off Haida Gwaii In Canada
June 30, 2018

A young North Pacific right whale breaching in waters off the west coast of Canada in June of 2018.
credit: Canadian Coast Guard and DFO

We have very good news to report: A highly endangered North Pacific right whale was sighted in early June by a Canadian Coast Guard crew near Haida Gwaii, an island off the west coast of Canada. This is only the third time a North Pacific right whale has been seen in Canadian waters in since 1951 - there were two sightings in 2013 and now this sighting in June 2018. It's estimated that there are only around 30 of these whales left in the eastern North Pacific after their population was decimated by decades of brutal hunting by both American and Soviet hunters. Every time one of these whales is seen, researchers jump at the opportunity to observe them and gather any information they can to learn more about these whales. There are already plans to place acoustic recorders along the Canadian coast in an attempt to find more of them and learn about how they use that area.

The whale seen off Haida Gwaii was around 30 feet long so it was believed to be a juvenile, giving us hope that there is breeding happening and that these whales are adding to their population. To top it off, the whale was breaching out of the water and appeared happy and healthy. North Pacific right whales suffered greatly and nearly went extinct because of humans but there appears to be just enough of them to keep their population going and this latest sighting of a juvenile gives us much needed hope for their future. This is our first post about North Pacific right whales and we are currently developing a section on these whales that will contain information on what we can all do to make sure these whales are protected as they deserve just as much protection as their relatives in the North Atlantic do.

credit: Canadian Coast Guard and DFO

Sources:
Coast guard crew makes rare sighting of right whale off Haida Gwaii - CBC
Rare whale sighting spurs hope and research on Canadian Pacific Ocean - National Observer