WHALES IN LOCAL WATERS
Cetaceans visiting English Bay and Burrard Inlet

**A grey whale is seen off the coast of Vancouver, B.C., on April 27, 2026.** *(Raquel Gallego photo)*

by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge)

When a jet ski rider hit a grey whale off Siwash Rock on May 3, there were many witnesses videotaping, and the following outcry has done much to bring attention to the plight of the grey and other whales, the maritime laws about the distance all vessels, including personal water craft, and drone operators have to maintain between whales, and the ignorance of some part-time boaters.

In British Columbia, vessels must stay at least 1,000 metres from Southern Resident Killer Whales, 100 metres from whales, dolphins and porpoises, and 200 metres from resting whales or those with a calf. This is the law for sea-bikes, paddle boarders, and kayakers. Recently, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officer attempting to educate neophyte boaters in both English Bay and False Creek was informed by a couple of sea-bikers (one rents them on Granville Island) that they felt that they posed no threat to a whale!

The DFO officer explained the necessity of the 100-metre distance, which applies to all vessels and personal watercraft, and advised water bicycle operators that a breaching 10,000-ton whale was also a huge threat to them.

**Getting up close and personal with a grey whale in english bay.** *(Mikul Culver Photo)*

Many West Enders have posted videos of kayakers and paddle boarders on English Bay, well within the required 100 metres.

The DFO reported that the jet ski rider who hit the grey whale came to the Vancouver DFO office the following morning, stating that he was very sad and disturbed by what happened, and that he wanted to help educate other part-time vessel operators to become aware of whales and other marine mammals.

The DFO reported that the jet ski rider who hit the grey whale was hospitalized for several hours. The following morning the rider reported to the DFO office, stating that he was very sad and disturbed by what happened , and that he wanted to help educate other part-time vessel operators to become aware of whales and other marine mammals.

Charges against the operator are currently under consideration by both the DFO and the VPD Marine Unit. The Park Board will debate a motion to restrict such vessels in English Bay at their June 1 meeting.

The whale was examined by experts, who reported no visible signs of injury, but it was not possible to assess for internal injuries. Jet skis do not have propellers, which are the general cause of injury to whales in boat strikes.

**Blackney, an emaciated grey whale.** *(Jared Towers Photo / Marine Education and Research Society)*

On Saturday, May 4, I observed the grey whale feeding off Siwash Rock. I also observed the proliferation of vessels clearly too close to the whale. I called the DFO report number, 1-800-464-4336 and described what I was witnessing.

On Monday, May 6, I called again to ask if DFO had responded, as we now had a potentially injured grey whale. The operator took my number, and a DFO supervisor returned my call.

The supervisor informed me that there is one DFO vessel to protect whales, respond to poaching, and address whale entanglements, etc., and its territory extends from Port Hardy to Victoria to Vancouver. There is another vessel patrolling the west coast of Vancouver Island doing similar work and protecting the 200-mile fishing limit. The West Coast of Vancouver Island experiences heavy traffic from large vessels, and the DFO enforces a speed limit there. All these large vessels must have a whale lookout on board at all times. If a cruise ship, a tanker or a freighter hits a whale, the crew will not experience the collision. Propellers do terrible damage to whales.

Also, the DFO vessels generally only run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and overtime is hard to come by.

The DFO is clearly underfunded. Please email your concerns re the underfunding to The Hon. Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries (see Related Links below).

The DFO official explained to me how hard it is to successfully press charges against vessel operators who break the 100, 200, and 1,000 metre limits, those who hit whales, claiming they didn’t see the whale, and even the harassing drone operators who try to get a shot of the blowhole. The drone operators frequently claim their lens is strong enough that they don’t need to be within 200 metres of the whale.

Transport Canada has announced that, effective June 1, 2026, the 2026 vessel management measures will now be expanded to protect the Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Hopefully, the grey whales will soon be more protected.

The DFO announced the following for BC waters.

As of May 2026, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) mandates that vessels in BC must generally stay at least 100 metres away from most whales, dolphins, and porpoises, increasing to 200 metres for resting whales or those with a calf. For all killer whales in B.C., a 200-metre minimum applies, with an increased 1,000-metre (1 km) requirement for Southern Resident Killer Whales in southern B.C. coastal waters, effective June 1, 2026. Check the DFO illustration to see how far 1,000 metres is. (The length of 15 Boeing 747s)

MANDATORY APPROACH DISTANCES (2026)

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW): 1,000 metres in southern B.C. coastal waters (between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet) as of June 1, 2026.
All Other Killer Whales: 200 metres in all B.C. and Pacific Ocean waters.
Other Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises: 100 metres.
Resting/With Calf: 200 metres (applies to all species).
Drones: Must maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet within a 0.5 nautical mile radius.

KEY REGULATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

BC Boundary: The 1,000-metre rule for SRKWs applies from Campbell River to Ucluelet, including the Gulf Islands and Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Speed Restrictions: From June 1 to Nov 30, 2026, vessels must slow to a max of 10 knots around Swiftsure Bank.
Penalties: Violations of these regulations can result in fines of up to $1 million and 18 months in jail.

There is also a very well subscribed petition to ban Jet Skis in English Bay. Find the link at the end of this column.

The Marine Education Society (MES) also offers a free, online boating course. It educates all about water and whale safety. Jackie Hilderling suggests that even if you are not a boater, take the course so you can educate friends.

The DFO is currently seeking information from companies that rent boats and other water vessels to enquire about the education they give their clients. If you click on some of the Granville Island boat, water bike, etc., rentals, “no experience required” is in huge letters!

The positive side of the whale collision is the sudden huge interest in grey whales and in boater education.

I chatted at length with Jackie Hilderling, Education and Communications Director and Co-founder of the Marine Education Society. Jackie is a marine naturalist and conducts Humpback Research for MERS and participates in whale research surveys for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Her underwater photography includes work with the BBC, PBS and Animal Planet.

The grey whales winter in the lagoons of Baja California Sur in Mexico. They spend their summers in BC, around Haida Gwaii, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Arctic, and in Russian waters. They feed by diving to the seafloor (they like sandy bottoms), turning onto their sides, and scooping up sediment that they filter through coarse baleen plates to consume amphipods, worms, and other small invertebrates. The warm waters of Mexico do not provide much sustenance, and the whales are often underfed as they begin their long journey north. It is reported that 18 emaciated grey whales have been found dead off Washington State this spring.

Their northern feeding grounds are suffering from a nutrient deficiency due to climate change. Jackie tells me the unusual sighting of a grey whale in English Bay was due to the whale’s hunger and its inability to keep travelling north without more nutrients.

Jackie also tells me the whales will return to last year’s feeding grounds because they remember where they found sufficient food.

The grey whales have a declining birthrate and an increasing mortality rate. They are clearly in danger. Whales are a barometer of the health of our oceans.

Grey whale biologists want the whales to be declared at risk rather than just “of special concern.”

The MES clearly explains the difference below.

“All Grey Whales in Canada are currently managed as one population under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) with the status “Special Concern“. In 2017, the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada recommended to the Government of Canadathat Grey Whales be protected as three populations, of which two be recognized as “Endangered.”

Pacific Coast Feeding Group population – recommended as Endangered by COSEWIC in 2017;
Western Pacific population – recommended as Endangered by COSEWIC in 2017;
Northern Pacific Migratory population – recommendation of Not At Risk by COSEWIC 2017 but this is now the population about which there are also extreme concerns as described above;
To date, there has been no decision about the recommendations by the Government of Canada. Note from our graphic below that, under the Species at Risk Act, there are very significant differences in protection depending on if a population or species is recognized as Special Concern versus Threatened or Endangered.

Grey whales rely on fat reserves from their summer feeding in northern waters to make the return trip to Mexico.

**Mind the signs, and visit the website for more information.**

Jackie Hilderling informed me that emaciated grey whales tend to swim at a lower level in the ocean, making them less visible to large ocean vessels.

Hawaiian Oceans posted that, “climate change is completely devastating their natural Arctic feeding grounds. As crucial sea ice rapidly melts, the tiny crustaceans these ocean giants desperately need for survival are vanishing. Starving, disoriented, and exhausted, these magnificent creatures are burning through their vital fat reserves long before they can finish their gruelling twelve thousand-mile migration back home. The severe weakness also leaves them highly vulnerable to fatal boat strikes and fishing gear entanglements."

A full description of the grey whales and their plight can be found here. https://mersociety.org/news-media/grey-whales/sounding-the-alarm-for-north-pacific-grey-whales/

The MES has created widely distributed posters and signs posted at marinas and waterways, “See a Blow, Go Slow!” and other signs warning of whale presence in the area.

Jackie Hilderling and the MES work closely with DFO, sharing their knowledge of the whales in BC waters.

The English Bay grey whale is a chance to educate all of us. Help to protect our whales. Please send your thoughts to the ministers responsible for the funding of the DFO and protection of the grey whales.