Humpback whale had its jaw torn by a ferry

The female whale nicknamed Sweet Girl was hit by a ferry running six times faster than the allowed speed while swimming near a seaport in Tahiti on October 8, according to the wildlife organization Sea Shepard. Photos taken later by divers showed the animal’s upper jaw was severed and blood spurting from the wound. Sweet Girl drowned after several painful hours. The ferry ran at a speed of 55.6 km/h through the port while the limit was 9.3 km/h.

Dr. Agnès Benet, founder of the marine conservation organization Mata Tohora, said the whale died very quickly after the organization’s staff arrived. It drowned due to the impact from the collision, especially the fractures in the nasal bone. Two organizations, Mata Tohora and Sea Shepard, have filed a complaint with local authorities, requesting an investigation into violations of regulations. They also called on witnesses to testify.

In the video shared by Sea Shepard, a trail of blood extends from the open wound in the whale’s mouth as it tries to rise to the surface. The young humpback whale also let out a cry of pain. Rachel Moore, an underwater photographer who met Sweet Girl just four days before her death, said the whale’s mouth was severely deformed.

Every year, 20,000 whales die in the world. There are about 3,200 humpback whales living around the Tahiti archipelago and about 80,000 living in oceans around the planet. Whale watching is an important source of income in the region and authorities take many measures to encourage sustainable tourism and protect marine mammals. In April, they stipulated a safe distance between boats and whales of 100 m.

However, environmental organizations and scientists have criticized the boom in whale watching. According to Mata Tohora, there are too many boats on the water. “We need to limit the number of boats around whales and dolphins,” emphasized Agnes Benet, a biologist at Mata Tohora.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a large baleen whale. Their body length ranges from 12 – 16 m, and their weight can reach about 36 tons. Humpback whales have a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobby head. Humpback whales’ food includes mollusks and fish.