Four dead humpback whales washed up along BC beaches. last month, including one discovered in the Masset Inlet area of Haida Gwaii on Nov. 5.
On Wednesday, DFO said it was aware that several dogs had become seriously ill after eating meat from this decomposing whale carcass.
“While scavenging from a dead animal is not prohibited, for health and other concerns, the public is strongly advised to refrain from handling the dead carcasses of any wildlife or marine mammals,” DFO said in a statement.
The agency says eating the whale meat and decaying baleen can cause botulism – which can cause severe symptoms such as vomiting, difficulty swallowing, partial facial paralysis and more in humans – and that meat from marine mammals can contain high levels of heavy metals and toxins.
If you or a pet ingests part of the whale, DFO asks that you contact local fisheries officers in Haida Gwaii at 250-559-8532 or in Masset at 250-626-3316.
This particular humpback whale has already been necropsied by researchers.
DFO says it will take several months for autopsy results to determine the cause of the whale’s death, although there are early indications that the whale was killed by a ship strike.
A dead humpback whale is spotted in Masset Inlet, Haida Gwaii, on November 5, 2022. (Lorrie Joron)
Anyone who witnesses a whale in distress – whether due to entanglement, harassment or other disturbance – is asked to call DFO’s Sighting, Recording, Reporting/Marine Mammal Hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
Mariners on the water can also contact the Canadian Coast Guard Marine Mammal Bureau at 1-833-339-1020 or report to the CCG marine traffic radio if they see a whale in distress.
