Humpback whale dead after ferry crew reports collision off B.C. coast

The tail of a humpback whale comes out in the morning fog, on the Saint-Lawrence River in Tadoussac Que., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

By The Canadian Press

Posted September 19, 2025 9:11 am.

Last Updated September 19, 2025 2:32 pm.

A humpback whale has been found dead off the British Columbia coast after a ferry crew reported a collision.

BC Ferries says in a statement that the crew of the Northern Expedition reported hitting a whale on Wednesday in Wright Sound near Prince Rupert.

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The statement says BC Ferries immediately reported the collision to federal authorities, the local First Nations and researchers, who then found a dead whale in the vicinity around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

BC Ferries says Fisheries and Oceans Canada is going to co-ordinate a necropsy to find out why the whale died.

The 151-metre Northern Expedition was built in 2009 and has a capacity of 638 people and 115 cars.

The vessel is used to service BC Ferries’ northern routes involving open seas, including the service between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy, B.C.

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