A four-year-old humpback whale has washed up dead near Keats Island in Howe Sound, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is investigating to determine the cause of death.

Alex Cole lives in Howe Sound and first heard about the dead whale on Saturday night from a local Facebook group he runs.

He drove his boat on Sunday morning to the south side of Keats Island and photographed the dead whale against the rocks.

“It's obviously sad, a very sad and tragic thing to see a big beautiful whale … in that sort of vulnerable position,” Cole said.

Wisp spent several weeks feeding very close to shore earlier this season in Howe Sound. (Alex Cole)

The whale was found dead in the same area where a humpback whale was struck by a whale-watching vessel on Oct. 23.

A statement from whale

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