The grey whale spouts off water in the Courtenay River in the rivermouth on the morning of December 19th, 2018. Photo by James Wood/98.9 The Goat/Vista Radio/MyComoxValleyNow
Experts believe a grey whale that made its way up the Courtenay River Wednesday has now left.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says on Thursday they continued searching the river, this time by land. They last spotted it Wednesday near the lower reaches by the estuary.
The storm hitting the Island prevented them from searching by boat, but a plane Friday will comb the area again.
“This is not common behaviour, its pretty rare… [we are] not sure why he went up there,” said Paul Cottrell, the Marine Mammals Coordinator with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“It may have been foraging in high tide and didn’t know how to get out.”
On Wednesday at one point they observed the Large Baleen whale going between the shallows at the end of the river and the 17th Street Bridge in Courtenay.
They suspect the shallows may have prevented the whale from wanting to exit the river. After not spotting it they believe it left.
“It’s good news to be out of the river, we are happy,” added Cottrell.
READ MORE: Grey whale spotted swimming in the Courtenay River
This is not the first time this year that a whale has piqued the curiosity of Comox Valley residents. This summer, a lone transient killer whale moved into the Comox Harbour before it was lured out when DFO officers played recorded sounds of other orcas.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is reminding the public that the emergency number for injured, distressed and entangled marine life is 1-800-465-4336
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