A humpback whale freed from fishing gear near Texada Island several years ago is back, with a baby.
The humpback known as Slits was rescued from being tangled in prawn fishing gear and steel cables by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue Unit in October 2022. Earlier this month, she was spotted with her new calf near San Juan Island, and this week the pair were spotted near Nanaimo by a whale-watching company.
The Marine Education and Research Society says Slits is about 13 years old, and since her rescue, has been spotted frequently near Vancouver Island.
Fishing gear remains a serious problem for humpback whales, with an estimated 50% of humpbacks showing scars from being entangled.
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