Elusive sea creature seen on Canada coast. See why officials are ‘deeply concerned'

Miami Herald

19-05-2025

An elusive whale recently washed ashore in Canada, leaving local officials 'deeply concerned.'
The deceased marine mammal was found on Port McNeill Bay — located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia — on May 14, according to a news release from the 'Namgis First Nation, a local government office.
In photos, it can be seen laying on its stomach amid a vast stretch of wet sand. Its mouth was agape, revealing rows of white bristles.
The creature was initially thought to be a Minke whale, but officials at the site later confirmed it was a young Bryde's whale — 'a species rarely seen in these northern waters.'
Bay Cetology, a conservation non-profit that helped identify the whale, described the animal in a Facebook post as 'a very unusual visitor.'
The organization added that, 'This is British Columbia's first record of a Bryde's whale that we are aware of.'
As a result, officials said they were disturbed by the finding.
'The Nation is deeply concerned by the death of any whale, but the rarity of this species appearing so far north makes this event particularly significant,' 'Namgis First Nation said.
Officials were dispatched to the site to educate onlookers and to ensure the carcass was treated with respect.
A necropsy was conducted May 16, but the cause of death has not been revealed, according to the Whale Interpretive Center, another conservation non-profit, which described the finding as 'a surprise.'
Bryde's whales — pronounced 'broodus' — are a baleen species named after Johan Bryde, an early 20th century whaler, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA).
The animals, which can grow up to 55 feet and weigh up to 90,000 pounds, are typically found throughout warmer parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
'They are rarely seen in waters north of 35° latitude,' according to 'Namgis First Nation, which is 'roughly the same latitude as Los Angeles, California.'
This means the recently discovered whale was found about 1,000 miles outside the species' typical range.
The solitary creatures consume upwards of 1,000 pounds of food per day, with their diet largely consisting of shrimp, krill, crabs and schooling fish, according to NOAA.
The population of the species is unknown becuase of a lack of data, and the species is protected throughout its range by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.