A humpback whale from British Columbia, known as “Moon the Whale”, has made her last journey from the feeding grounds off BC's Northern coast to the breeding grounds of Hawaii, more than 4,800 km away. 

Moon was first discovered to have a damaged tail when she was spotted in Northern BC waters on September 7th. After nearly three months, she was tracked again in the waters off Hawaii, looking thin and pink, an indication of excessive loads of whale lice. 

The paralysis in her tail, according to researchers, is likely due to a boat strike and because of her emaciated state, she won’t be able to make the journey back to BC feedings grounds and will spend her last days in the waters off Hawaii. 

“This is the stark reality of a vessel strike, and it speaks to the extended suffering that whales can endure following an incident,” said Janie Wray from the North Coast Cetacean Society in a release. “It also speaks to their instinct and culture: the lengths whales will go to follow patterns of behaviour.”

Jackie Hildering, an educator and researcher with the Marine Education and Research Society told West Coast Now that, although this is a sad story, there is much to be learned from Moon’s situation. 

"This is a heartbreaking story, but we hope that it brings awareness for vessels to slow down when they have whales in their vicinity and ensure they are respected and protected," said Hildering.

Moon was first spotted by whale watchers in 2009 when she was identified as part of a group of whales off the north coast. But it wasn’t until last year that researchers noticed something was wrong with Moon. As they observed her they realized her tail seemed to be paralyzed, in the shape of an S, which made it difficult to swim and submerge. 

Due to her paralyzed tail, Moon most likely traveled to Hawaii at a slow pace, about five kilometers an hour, unable to submerge for long periods of time, using only her pectoral fins as her only thrust. 

“We will never truly understand the strength it took for Moon to take on what is regrettably her last journey,” Wray wrote. “But it is on us to respect such tenacity within another species and recognize that vessel strikes lead to a devastating end.”

Listen to the full episode below.

https://www.smithersradio.com/program-playlist/cick-news-playlist-12202022