A paralyzed humpback whale has migrated for the last time, after her journey of 3,000 miles left her severely emaciated.
The humpback whale, known as Moon, became severely injured after being struck by a vessel, BC Whales said on Facebook. Drone photos show the whale swimming with a twisted spine, which prevents her from propelling herself with her tail. The injury also prevents her from hunting properly, leaving her severely emaciated and covered in lice.
The whale was spotted swimming off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, in September, by BC Whales.
Then on December 1, the Pacific Whale Foundation spotted the whale swimming off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. Liaising with BC Whales, the two organizations realized it was the same whale, who despite her injuries had made her usual 3,000 mile migration.
But researchers say this will be her last journey.
Jackie Hildering, a humpback researcher with the Marine Education and Research Society, told the TimesColonist: "She will die ... there's no way she will be able to make it back because she's so emaciated. She was breast-stroking the whole way. It's a tragedy, but it shows the tenacity of their inherent need to migrate."
The pictures of the whale's twisted spine were "harrowing" and have stirred researchers, BC Whales said on a Facebook post.
Vessel strikes are one of the main threats facing whale species across the world today. They occur when fishing boats or ships collide with an animal. Much of the time, the collision goes unnoticed by vessel operators.
Moon is just one of many that has suffered severe injury from vessel strikes. It is estimated that vessel strikes kill 20,000 whales per year, research from non-profit organization Friend of the Sea found.
Humpback whales are not an endangered species, but strikes also happen to species much more vulnerable, such as the North Atlantic Right Whale.
"She was likely in considerable pain yet she migrated thousands of miles without being able to propel herself with her tail. Her journey left her completely emaciated and covered in whale lice as testament to her severely depreciated condition," BC Whales said. "This is the stark reality of a vessel strike, and it speaks to the extended suffering that whales can endure afterwards. It also speaks to their instinct and culture: the lengths whales will go to follow patterns of behavior."
Researchers have known about Moon for many years and admire the "tenacity" of the species.
"We will never truly understand the strength it took for Moon to take on what is regrettably her last journey, but it is on us to respect such tenacity within another species and recognize that vessel strikes lead to a devastating end," BC Whales said on Facebook.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
