Dead whale found at B.C. salmon farm
Vancouver SunMarch 29, 2013
Researchers, federal fisheries officials and employees of a Vancouver Island salmon farm are trying to figure out what caused the death of a humpback whale found floating near some of the company's nets. The whale was discovered before first light Wednesday morning at Mainstream Canada's Ross Point farm, located northwest of Tofino on the island's west coast, said company spokeswoman Laurie Jensen. Although the exact cause of death is unknown, Jensen said the company believes the whale has been dead for some time because divers inspected the farm's nets only two days earlier and found nothing unusual. No whales have been spotted in the area recently, although some orcas were spotted near a farm in early December, said Jensen. She said the company believes the dead whale drifted into the farm site and as it decomposed, gases floated the animal to the surface. She said the whale has been tied up at a nearby beach. Jensen said employees of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and local whale researchers have taken over the investigation and a necropsy will likely be performed Friday. The age of the whale is unknown, but Jensen said local researchers believe the whale is female and is at least 7.5 metres long.
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