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First-Ever Bryde’s Whale Found in B.C. Undergoes Necropsy After Rare Stranding

The whale, discovered on May 14 near Port McNeill, marks an unprecedented sighting in Canadian waters, with its death raising concerns about climate impacts on marine ecosystems.

The Bryde's whale washed up on a Port McNeill beach.
A dead whale, known as a Bryde’s whale, is pictured washed up on the beach in Port McNeill Bay on northern Vancouver Island. The whale was discovered on May 14, 2025 and has been confirmed by the Marine Education and Research Society, the ‘Namgis First Nation, and the Fisheries Department as being a type of whale rarely seen in B.C. waters.
A dead whale, known as a Bryde’s whale, is pictured washed up on the beach in Port McNeill Bay on northern Vancouver Island. The whale was discovered on May 14, 2025 and has been confirmed by the Marine Education and Research Society, the ‘Namgis First Nation, and the Fisheries Department as being a type of whale rarely seen in B.C. waters.
The Namgis First Nation says in a statement that a dead whale, seen in this handout image from Marine Education and Research Society, was found on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, on a beach near Port McNeill, B.C. Experts have determined the animal was a Bryde's whale — a species rarely seen in waters north of roughly the same latitude as Los Angeles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Marine Education and Research Society - MERS, MML-57 **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Overview

  • A dead Bryde’s whale, a species typically found in tropical waters, was discovered on northern Vancouver Island, marking the first confirmed sighting of the species in British Columbia.
  • The whale was initially misidentified as a minke whale but later confirmed as a young Bryde’s whale by Marine Education and Research Society and Bay Cetology experts.
  • A necropsy, conducted on May 16, aims to determine the cause of death, with results expected in two to three months, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
  • The stranding follows the deaths of two grey whales earlier this month in B.C., though researchers believe the causes are unrelated, with starvation linked to the grey whale deaths.
  • The ’Na̱mǥis First Nation, whose territory includes the stranding site, held a blessing ceremony and is collaborating with scientists to investigate the whale’s death and its broader ecological significance.