Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleA humpback whale identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s marine mammal response team as the animal struck by BC Ferries’ Queen of Surrey on October 18 has been towed to the Squamish Nation’s Xwemelch’stn (Capilano) village for a private cultural ceremony, according to a CBC report published October 30. The cause of death has not yet been established.
The whale was identified by researchers as Notcho, also known by the research catalogue number BCX1700. CBC reported that Paul Cottrell, a member of DFO’s marine mammal response team, said the team found the whale and confirmed it was the same animal involved in the ferry strike.
Whale moved to Squamish Nation village
The carcass was towed from West Bay near Gambier Island to Xwemelch’stn, also known as the Capilano village, in West Vancouver by DFO and the Canadian Coast Guard, according to the report.
Squamish Nation chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams said whales hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Nation. The Nation is planning a private ceremony and has asked the public to respect its privacy.
Williams said the Nation is considering how the whale’s remains may support cultural knowledge and education. The report said an Elder with experience in whale harvesting had travelled from Vancouver Island to assist.
What happened during the October 18 ferry crossing
The collision happened on October 18 as the Queen of Surrey travelled between Langdale on the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. DFO said two humpback whales were near the vessel in Howe Sound and one surfaced in front of the ferry before being struck. The reported location was between Grace Point and Keats Island.
A dead humpback was later seen floating near the Grace Islands and Gambier Island. Researchers identified it as Notcho using distinctive markings on its right pectoral fin. The newer CBC report says DFO’s marine mammal response team subsequently confirmed it was the whale involved in the October 18 incident.
Cause of death remains under investigation
DFO is conducting a necropsy and collecting samples to help determine the whale’s cause of death. The CBC report said results could take months. Confirmation that the whale was the animal struck by the ferry does not, by itself, establish the precise medical cause of death or the extent to which the collision contributed.
The distinction matters: the whale’s identity and the circumstances of the collision have been reported, but the scientific findings are still pending. StudioX News will update this story when DFO releases the results of its examination.
A separate conservation agreement announced by BC Ferries
On October 29, BC Ferries announced a conservation agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. It includes a plan intended to reduce the fleet’s underwater radiated noise in Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat by 50 per cent by 2036, compared with a 2019 baseline, and a framework to address vessel-cetacean strike risk.
The agreement is a separate conservation initiative. BC Ferries has not said that it would have prevented the October 18 collision involving the Queen of Surrey.
Related StudioX coverage: BC Ferries’ agreement to reduce underwater noise in killer whale habitat.
Sources
- CBC report republished by Today in Canada, October 30, 2026: whale towed to Squamish Nation for a cultural ceremony
- BC Ferries: October 29 conservation agreement with DFO and Transport Canada
- StudioX News: BC Ferries underwater-noise reduction plan
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
