A pilot whale was spotted in the Bedford Basin on Monday, coming close to the wharf at the Dartmouth Yacht Club.
The rare whale was seen swimming under the boats and floating docks at the yacht club. Staff members say it was a sight like none other.
“I joked that maybe he was coming to check out, see if he wanted a membership,” says staff member Danielle Sabean. “But he left this morning, so I guess not.”
Biologist Elizabeth Zwamborn says the whale may have been a juvenile, given its size. She says the whale can get to be 23 feet long.
"We know that on Friday evening it was seen near the ferries. There was a few videos recorded and passed around the internet, and nothing really happened on Saturday, until Sunday afternoon," says Zwamborn.
The whale was then seen around the Sackville River entrance to the Bedford Basin. Zwamborn says it’s not normal behaviour for pilot whales, who are usually out along the continental shelf.
Sabean says she and others were worried for the animal.
"He actually came up quite a bit to get air. We thought maybe he was just a little bit stressed because it wasn't a huge area that he was in. It was like he was just swimming around trying to get out," she says.
"It is concerning that it's spent a lot of time around the harbour, at the same time there's very little you can do," says Zwamborn.
The video of the whale has garnered more than 40,000 views on social media.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw.
