A four-year-old humpback whale named Wisp was found washed up on the shores of Keats Island on Saturday. CTV
Residents of Keats Island, off B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, are mourning the loss of a young humpback whale named Wisp after the animal was found dead on a local beach last week. The whale is believed to have been struck by a tour vessel days earlier in Howe Sound.
The discovery has sparked calls for stronger protections for marine life in the area, where whale sightings have become increasingly common in recent years.
“There’s been quite an outpouring of support and grief for this particular whale,” said island resident Jana Nahanee Benson Nadler, who found Wisp’s body washed ashore. She described how locals have left flowers on nearby rocks in tribute to the four-year-old humpback.
Remembering Wisp
Nadler, a Squamish Nation member who has lived on Keats Island for over two decades, said community members are discussing ways to honour Wisp’s memory. Some have suggested turning the stretch of beach into a reflection site or adding it as a stop during summer canoe journeys.
Plans for a small ceremony to celebrate Wisp’s short life are also underway.
Nadler recalled the emotional moment she and her husband discovered the carcass during a stormy evening. “As we started approaching the edge of the cliff where you could look down at the beach, we could intensely smell the whale,” she said.
When they finally saw it, disbelief set in. “It was surreal and disorienting, just very wild to be standing beside such a large creature,” she said. “I told my husband I felt like I was standing next to a dinosaur.”
A Familiar Visitor
Wisp was known to locals who often spotted the whale surfacing near the island. Residents have shared their photos and videos with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) investigators, who are now working to confirm what caused the death.
The timing of the discovery closely matches a collision that occurred a few days earlier between a humpback whale and a tour vessel operated by the Prince of Whales company in Howe Sound. The company said the whale surfaced unexpectedly in front of the boat, making the impact unavoidable.
An official investigation remains ongoing, and DFO has not yet confirmed whether Wisp was the same whale involved in that incident.
Calls for Change
Nadler said she witnessed the collision from her home that Thursday evening. She had been watching a whale moving through the water when she saw the tour company’s bright yellow catamaran pass by.
She believes Wisp’s death should serve as a wake-up call. “If this whale happens to be connected to the incident with the Prince of Whales boat, then perhaps it can be the catalyst for change,” she said.
She hopes stricter rules around vessel speeds, routes, and safe distances from marine wildlife will follow. “I hope that there’s justice for Wisp,” she said, “and that this tragedy leads to safer waters here in Howe Sound.”
