Something to sing about: humpback whales are reclaiming their territory in the Salish Sea, bringing new life to waters once left empty by commercial whaling.
Humpback whales are graceful giants of the sea, with adults ranging from 15 to 18 metres (50 to 60 feet), comparable to a school bus, and newborn calves the size of a car. Their name is a tribute to the exaggerated way they arch their scar-and-barnacle-adorned backs before plunging below the surface. Their genus name, Megaptera, translates to “large-winged,” from their wing-like pectoral fins measuring a third of their body length. Their flukes are uniquely patterned with scars and white patches that serve as identity markers. Distinct bumps, or tubercles, decorate their faces and fins. These aren’t just for looks; they increase the whale’s performance and maneuverability while navigating the sea. Commercial industries such as aircraft, windmills, watercraft, and ventilation fans adopted tubercles to maximize efficiency in their products.
Carbon capture experts
In addition to technological innovation, humpbacks bring life to the ocean through their breathtaking breaches, playful water acrobatics and extraordinary melodies.
More than just a mesmerizing sight, they are vital in combating climate change. Humpbacks help regulate krill and small fish populations and enrich marine ecosystems. While diving deep to feed, they bring nutrients from the bottom to the surface (vertical nutrient mixing). Along the way, humpbacks disperse nutrient-rich feces that fertilize phytoplankton. Phytoplankton generate 50% of earth’s oxygen, absorb roughly 40% of earth’s carbon annually, and serve as the foundation of the marine food web.
Since 2003, Big Mama has returned with six calves, seven grand-calves, and two great grand-calves
If that wasn’t enough, humpbacks store approximately 33 tons of carbon in their lifetime. After death, they act as carbon sinks, providing food to deep-sea animals and trapping carbon for hundreds of years as they rest on the seafloor.
Where did all the whales go? In 1866, the BC Whaling Company established its first whaling station in Mill Bay on Vancouver Island. After depleting stocks there, in 1869 they moved to Hornby Island and Cortes Island (Whaletown). By 1872, the local scarcity of whales led to the company’s liquidation. Whalers killed around 100 humpback whales during this period.
The Pacific Whaling Company revived commercial whaling in 1905. Originally operating out of Victoria, the company established six stations, moving locations as whale populations succumbed to the industry. In 1948, Western Whaling Company (later renamed BC Packers Ltd.), opened the longest-lasting whaling station in Coal Harbour, which operated until the close of BC’s commercial whaling industry in 1967.
BC’s first oil boom
The whale economy included oil extracted from blubber and spermaceti; baleen, used as a plastic substitute before post-World War II mass production; ambergris, prized for its fragrance; and whale meat, distributed for both human and animal consumption. Between 1908 and 1967, records show hunters killed over 25,000 whales, with fin, sperm, and humpback whales suffering the highest losses. Significant numbers of blue, bowhead, grey, right, and sei whales also fell victim to hunters. Globally, commercial whaling led to the eradication of over 90% of humpback whales.
In 1986, The International Whaling Commission announced a worldwide moratorium on whaling. Despite global efforts to restore whale populations, Norway, Japan, and Iceland continue commercial whale hunting.
Big Mama and family
By the early 1900s, the exploitation of whaling left the once-abundant humpbacks of the Salish Sea almost non-existent. Hope rippled in with the first sighting of a humpback in 1997. The now-famous “Big Mama” (BCY0324) made her first appearance near Race Rocks, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, ending a near century-long hiatus. In 1999, she again braved the once-hostile waters alone, returning in 2003 with a gift: a new calf, eager to learn the migratory paths of her mother. Since 2003, Big Mama has returned with six calves, seven grand-calves, and two great grand-calves, cementing her legacy as a symbol of resurgence.
Big Mama isn’t the only humpback migrating to the Salish sea from the warm birthing-grounds of Hawaii, Mexico and Central America. Populations are increasing at roughly eight per cent a year, with over 500 humpbacks documented in the region annually. Humpback sightings have more than doubled on the west coast since 2015.
Other cetaceans are making a splash alongside humpback whales in the Salish Sea. Though still low in numbers, gray whales, resident and transient orcas, and minke whales return annually to feed, with rare sightings of the endangered fin whale.
Serenading the sea
New research by whale biologist Ellen Garland in Science suggests male humpback mating songs are similar to human language, featuring complex, culturally transmitted structures and patterns. Male humpbacks teach songs to each other, following patterns and “themes” that can last up to 30 minutes. Through the analysis of eight years of whale songs, Garland discovered the songs resemble a statistical pattern present in human language: Zipf’s law, believed to facilitate the learning of a new language.
Despite their massive size, humpback whales face growing threats as they navigate the ocean. Rising populations and shifting feeding habits due to marine heat waves has led to more ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements. The World Wildlife Federation estimates each year that three or four humpbacks perish to ship strikes, and that number is expected to rise with increased shipping traffic. Research suggests about 47 per cent of BC humpbacks carry scars from surviving entanglement. The public is urged to report entangled whale sightings to the BC Marine Mammal Response Network, keep a safe distance, and monitor until help arrives.
Pa̱x̱a̱la, Desiree Mannila, is a proud member of the Da’naxda’xw/Awaetlala Nation and staff reporter for the Watershed Sentinel.
