A vessel belonging to a high-speed ferry service connecting Vancouver and Nanaimo collided with a humpback whale in English Bay near Vancouver, as reported by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The ferry service provider, Hullo Ferries, promptly informed the DFO about the incident and is cooperating fully with the authorities.
Following the collision, the whale was observed swimming north, but details regarding its condition remain undisclosed. Vessel operators are required by regulations to report accidental contacts with marine mammals to the appropriate authorities without delay.
Hullo Ferries, known for offering up to 14 daily sailings using two catamarans between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo, acknowledged that its vessel Spuhels may have made contact with the whale during a scheduled journey. The crew took immediate evasive action upon spotting the mammal, following safety protocols by executing a crash stop maneuver.
The company assured that all necessary reporting procedures were followed, including notifying the DFO, Canadian Coast Guard, First Nations partners, and the Whale Reporting Alert System. Although no specifics were provided about the whale’s condition post-collision, CCTV footage and crew observations indicated that the whale swam away from the area after the incident.
Expressing deep concern, the Vancouver Island Ferry Company stated its commitment to marine life protection, emphasizing compliance with the Whale Reporting Alert System and Canada’s Marine Mammal Guidelines. This incident comes after a recent discovery of a deceased humpback whale believed to have been struck by a B.C. Ferries vessel off the northern coast of British Columbia.