Humpback Whale with Missing Tail Spotted Swimming Near Washington State Despite Dangerous Injury

A humpback whale whose tail is missing was spotted swimming near Washington state in July.

Originally spotted on July 10 around the Campbell River in British Columbia, the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network notes that authorities have been on high alert for this whale.

The whale was spotted a second time south of Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands. A viral video from July 23 shared on the network's Facebook page showed the massive mammal struggling to swim. At one point, viewers can see where the tail is severed.

“It wasn’t until the whale went to sound that we actually saw the back end of the whale and the tail end being missing, and that was when you could hear a big gasp of disbelief,” Campbell River Whale Watching co-founder Tyler Bruce told GlobalNews about the sighting.

He added that “A pretty significant part of the whale was missing," and called the scene "quite a shock."

Local researchers hope to further document its injury as its massive fluke (tail) is missing. Humpbacks have unique patterns and designs similar to a human fingerprint, which means no two humpback tails are the same.

Since the whale doesn't have a fluke, scientists haven't been able to identify the ailing whale.

Flukes are also important body parts that help the whales swim great distances, propelling them through the water. The Maui Ocean Center also notes that whales use flukes to defend themselves against predators.

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Humpback whale researcher Jackie Hildering believes that the whale suffered its dangerous injury after an entanglement with fishing gear.

“A conservative estimate, and we are still pulling together our data, is that about 50 percent of the humpbacks that have been photographed on the coast … show that they have been entangled at least once," Hildering told GlobalNews.

Hildering also says that when people learn about this whale that researchers have named Catalyst, it will be a “catalyst for change, catalyst for awareness …. a catalyst for education."

Doug Sandilands, who works with the Cascadia Research Collective Partnership for Whale Entanglement Action, told The Seattle Times that the whale's chances of survival are not good.

“Exactly what it is going through, I cannot say, but I know it is not good," Sandilands said. "This particular whale, I don’t know what we could do; I haven’t heard of anyone able to help a whale in this condition.”

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Sandilands noted that giving the animal space is the best thing anyone can do for it. “Prevention is the ultimate goal.”

Anyone who spots a marine mammal struggling or entangled is encouraged to contact the Entanglement Response Hotline at 877-767-9425 or NOAA’s West Coast Marine Stranding Network 866-767-6114.