'How did it get there?': Young humpback whale dies after swimming up Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie River
A sad ending for a whale is gaining a lot of attention across the Maritimes and online.
A young humpback was first spotted Monday in Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie River by river rafting staff. At that time it was low tide and the whale was struggling.
"(I've been) rafting in this river for two decades now and we just don't see stuff like this," said Emmett Blois, owner of Shubie River Wranglers.
"At this point, the tide was kind of pushing it down the sandbar probably, maybe 15 minutes, the water came up high enough where it was able to start moving and floating again," said Blois.
When the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) was able to check in on the large mammal, it was barely surviving.
"Because of the size of the animal and where it was, all they could do was keep it calm, keep it cool, until the tide came back up," said Tonya Wimmer with the MARS.
Despite their best efforts, the mammal ended up dying.
"It's one of the biggest mammals on the earth in this tiny, tiny little river that you know, the water levels rise and drop two inches a minute," said Blois.
People near the Shubenacadie River were stunned to see whale up close.
"We do a lot of fishing in the river for striped bass, so to see a whale in the river is a huge surprise," said one local resident. "Like, think about how did it get there?"
Donna Mack shared this photo with CTV Atlantic of a whale with its belly up in Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie River.
MARS believes food was the main reason the young whale ventured up the river.
"Humpbacks really are much further out in the Bay of Fundy... But sometimes it happens and sometimes they're following food and if there's a good fish run, they might just go in with it," said Wimmer.
According to Wimmer, the whale is too heavy to move, but leaving it will cause other issues.
"The animal is there, it is going to smell, it is going to decompose and so there's a lot of questions being asked about what can we do?" said Wimmer. "How do you move it and how do you get it out of there and so we're a bit at the moment of mercy of nature in the sense of not being able to do much because of those constraints.
“So now it's at Stewiacke and we've been talking with obviously the town there and continue the conversations with provinces and the federal authorities to say is there any way possible to get this animal out and it's not possible at the moment because the mud where it is (is) extremely dangerous.”
Wimmer said the other concern with people approaching the mammal is that it is bloated and can explode.
“It normally does not happen unless you puncture it, so that’s another reason not to have people going up and poking trying to do anything the moment, unless you’re highly trained to do it because that can release gases quite suddenly and it’s not pleasant," she said.
Earlier in the day Thursday, the N.S. RCMP said there were vehicles stopped on the shoulder of Highway 102 north in relation to the whale and delays should be expected.
"Nova Scotia RCMP encourages anyone driving through this area of Hwy 102 north to take into consideration the safety of all road users," Cpl. Carlie McCann said in an email to CTV Atlantic.
"Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and others ahead, and if there is a need to stop, pull over and ensure your vehicle is well off the road. Watch for pedestrians, and keep your eyes on the road and off the phone especially when other drivers around may be stopping, pulling over, or slowing unexpectedly."
Last month, a stranded minke whale was able to swim to safety after getting stuck on a sandbar in the river.
To see more photos of the whale, click here.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard found not guilty of sexual assault
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Missing B.C. climber died from fall on Mount Baker, medical examiner says
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Following child's death in Ontario, here's what you need to know about rabies and bats
An Ontario child died last month after coming into contact with a rabid bat in their bedroom, which was the first known human rabies case in Canada since 2019.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Anne Hathaway confirms 'Princess Diaries 3': 'Miracles happen'
You might be thinking, 'Shut up!' but it’s officially true: the 'Princess Diaries' franchise is finally growing.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Sask. man pleads guilty in U.S. after unknowingly providing videos of men raping toddlers to FBI agent
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.