A forty foot sperm whale was spotted near Alert Bay for the first time in over three decades on Monday, February 12th.
Jared Towers works as a cetologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and first heard the ocean giant’s booming clicks a few days ago. He was working with Lisa Larsson when they spotted the mammal in the west end waters of the Johnstone Strait.
Sperm whales are easy to spot because of their distinctive blowholes; they are positioned at a 45 degree angle on their heads, which is unique to the species.
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Sperm Whale in the Johnstone Strait
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Towers shared a post with images of the whale to Facebook, and the post received a great deal of engagement. What’s more, many people were inquiring as to the welfare of the animal, seeing as it is such a rare occurrence.
“Behaviourally and physically it seemed quite healthy. I think that if it found its way into the strait, it knows how to get out,” Towers told CTV News. “That fact that it’s here, it could be that sperm whales are finally starting to recover from whaling.”
The whale has been in the strait for approximately a week, and it is unclear how long it will remain.
