Clipper, the most recent whale to die in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, used to spend time in the Bay of Fundy. (Submitted: Danielle Dion)
The deaths of several North Atlantic Right Whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has many in the marine biology world concerned.
Danielle Dion with Quoddy Link Marine runs whale-watching tours in St. Andrews. She also spent years studying and documenting right whales in the Bay of Fundy, and sharing data with other experts.
Dion says she had a special connection with some of the whales through her work, and is “heartbroken” over their deaths.
“Some of them that have died in June are whales that I’ve photographed myself in the Bay of Fundy. Clipper, the last whale that died, hit me really hard. I photographed her in 2016 with her first calf,” she said in an interview.
So far, six whales have died, and three are currently entangled in fishing gear. There hasn’t been this many right whale deaths since 2017, when 12 died.
Dion says these deaths are going to greatly impact the endangered species, especially with the loss of ‘Clipper,’ a breeding female.
A picture of Clipper in the Bay of Fundy, taken before she died. (Submitted: Danielle Dion)
“To lose a breeding female in a population as small as the North Atlantic Right Whale population is—an estimated population of 411 individuals—to lose a breeding female is heartbreaking,” she said.
Transport Canada placed a temporary speed restriction in the Gulf after the death of the fifth whale.
Dion believes the speed restriction should have been put in place sooner, when the first dead whale was found.
She points out that while there were already restrictions in certain areas where right whales are known to be in the Gulf, whales follow their food as it moved.
She thinks the whales moved to a new area not protected by speed restrictions, and were struck as a result.
Out of the six, three deaths have been confirmed from ship strikes, the other three are not confirmed yet.
Dion says the fishing and transport industry needs to be more concerned about protecting the whales.
“The ships that are travelling in the Gulf, a lot of them are large transport ships, and they’re bringing goods that we want,” she said.
“It’s a balance, and I hope we do better for these whales is what I’m trying to get at. They deserve better.”
