Sea-Doo Rider Hurt After Slamming Into Whale Off Vancouver, Animal’s Fate Unclear

Search-and-rescue officials say a Sea-Doo rider has been injured after slamming into a grey whale in a high-speed collision off a Vancouver beach, while the animal’s fate is unclear.

The collision that sent the vessel airborne was captured on video from multiple angles on Monday evening, prompting gasps and curses from those gathered at the shoreline to watch the whale that has been feeding in the area over the past week.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue says officers responded to a mayday call around 7:35 p.m. after the crash near Siwash Rock off Stanley Park.

The organization says the operator of the Sea-Doo was ejected from the craft and given first aid on a nearby yacht and one of its vessels, then taken to shore where they were picked up by an ambulance.

The federal Fisheries Department says it’s aware of the incident and is trying to assess any injuries to the whale.

Vessels must keep a distance of at least 100 metres from all whales in Canadian waters, with stricter regulations depending on the species and circumstances.

“There is absolutely no way for us to access the health of the grey whale, but it was seen in the area coming up to breathe,” Marine Search and Rescue says in a Facebook post.

“It is the responsibility of all boaters to maintain situational awareness at all times. It is the responsibility of all boaters to operate their vessel at a safe speed.”

The videos show the whale surface and spout before the Sea-Doo travelling at high speed appears from the right and slams into it.

The craft flies in the air for five to 10 metres after hitting the whale, crashing down hard and dismounting the rider.

B.C. Emergency Health Services did not immediately respond to a request for information about the condition of the rider.

Jackie Hildering, education and communication director with Marine Education and Research Society, says the grey whale might be “nutritionally stressed” and trying to bulk up, but has chosen to feed in a “highly urbanized area.”

He says the animal is not the whale known as Little Patch, that drew fans last year after feeding close to shore off Vancouver for an extended period.