Squamish Harbour Authority
37796 Galbraith Rd Squamish, BC, Canada

Humpback Whale injured - Howe Sound. Accident happened sometime between April 6 and May 11 (updated information). Whale appears to have been hit by a boat. Ple...ase help this whale's accident lead to greater boater awareness. There have been so many accidents, including the tragedy that someone is now a paraplegic as a result of a collision in 2017. The fate of the whales is usually unknown as collisions too often go unreported and dead whales most often sink. KEY POINTS TO AVOID COLLISION include: - Know that Humpbacks behave very differently than the Orca most boaters are used to. They are bigger, highly acrobatic and generally are far more unpredictable. They are often travelling in random patterns and can suddenly surface after long dives (up to 20 minutes). They do not have the biosonar of toothed whales like Orca and can be oblivious of boats, especially if feeding or resting. It is extremely flawed to think that Humpbacks are aware of the presence of boats, even if engines are on. - Always be on the lookout for blows at all times. If you see blows, slow down. Speed should not be more than 7 knots when 200 to 400m from a whale. - Increase vigilance in areas of known whale density (see maps at link below). - Be alert for aggregations of birds. This often means there is a lot of feed and thereby an enhanced chance of whale presence. - Give whales space, at least 200m but consider whale size and behaviour for safe distance. - If a whale surfaces within 200m of your vessel, place engine in neutral (or ideally shut off the engine) until the whales are beyond 200m. - If, despite this vigilance, you experience or witness a collision or other incident of concern such as entanglement or disturbance, please call the DFO Incident Reporting Line at 1-800-465-4336 (all boaters should have this number programmed into their phones) or, if outside cell range, VHF 16 (Coast Guard). See further information on reducing risk, see www.SeeABlowGoSlow.org With very great thanks to those who made the documentation of this accident possible. Meghan Anthony and Ruana Singh of Steveston Seabreeze Adventures and Tasli Shaw of Humpbacks of the Salish Sea. Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Squamish Chief Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Research Program Fisheries and Oceans Canada

This year's recipients of the Chris Tamburri memorial scholarship. Proudly presented by Douglas, one of our Directors. Congratulations Gabrielle and Ayela and the best of success in your future endeavours.

Some great artists on the dock. Thanks, Rob.