Researchers believe a humpback whale calf named “Skipper” is the one that was struck by a Hullo ferry over the weekend.

The collision occurred on Oct. 17, and at the time Hullo Ferries said the crew of the “Spuhels” vessel stopped and executed an evasive maneuver as soon as it spotted the whale, but that it “likely made contact with a whale.”

In an update Tuesday, the Port McNeill-based Marine Education & Research Society (MERS) said it believed the whale that was struck was Skipper, a new calf born to humpback mom Zigzag this year.

Researchers believe it’s Skipper because a photo of the whale calf taken one day before the collision, on Oct. 16, did not show any injuries.

The next photo of Skipper, taken on Oct. 20 about five kilometres from where the collision took place, shows a new

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