VANCOUVER — A British Columbia marine mammal research scientist says recent boat strikes that have injured and killed humpback whales seem “almost inevitable” as their numbers increase in waters frequented by high-speed vessels.

Lance Barrett-Lennard with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation says humpback whale numbers were decimated by the whaling industry up until the mid 1960s, but have since rebounded and they are now reoccupying coastal waters in the Strait of Georgia.

Prince of Whales, a whale-watching tour company, says one of its vessels hit a whale last week in Howe Sound, before a dead humpback was found nearby off the coast of Keats Island.

Barrett-Lennard says no boat operator wants to hit a whale, and the “culture” of mariners is evolving to be more aware of the risks, “bu

See Full Page