Humpback whale spotted again in English Bay
No confirmation yet if it's the same whale seen since Easter weekend
A whale has once again been spotted in English Bay.
CBC News cameras caught the whale splashing around near a group of paddle boarders by Jericho Beach.
Tessa Danelesko, a coordinator with the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network said the whale was a humpback, but she can't confirm if it's the same whale that's been seen around English Bay for the past several weeks.
"The reason we're not totally positive is that we haven't come across any images of the underside of the tail," Danelesko said. That part of the whale's anatomy is similar to a human fingerprint, she said.
"Each individual humpback has a unique pattern there, so that's how we're able to identify individuals."
Residents and tourists have spotted a humpback whale in English Bay since March, around Easter weekend, when it came incredibly close to a group of boaters.
Danelesko said even though English Bay is busy with people and boats, it's considered part of the "normal range" for humpbacks. A small number stay in the area year-round, she said. The rest are in the midst of travel.
"This time of year, as the weather starts to warm up, they'll be travelling from their winter destinations like Hawaii, or down in tropical waters, so we will see humpbacks in B.C."
On April 3, another group saw a humpback around sunset in the waters near Kitsilano.