A paralysed humpback whale has been spotted off the coast of Maui, Hawaii after an apparent painful swim from Canada because of its deteriorating condition.
Jens Currie, chief scientist at nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation, said the whale named Moon was likely injured by a boat strike and had suffered a traumatic spinal injury.
“Immediately saw that it was not doing well, wasn’t quite swimming right,” Mr Currie told news channel KHON2.
The humpback lost the ability to move its tail due to the injury.
“And you can also see from the video that it’s solely relying on its pectoral fins, so you can see those long pectoral fins and basically doing like the equivalent of a breast stroke, if you will, for a humpback whale,” the chief scientist said.
A research vessel and a drone was sent to check out the injured humpback after a report was received from a whale-watching tour company, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation.
Researchers said Moon was first spotted off the coast of British Columbia in September.
It was sporting a fresh injury at the time.
The humpback should continue to swim as much as it can, according to Mr Currie.
“If they’re still swimming, pre-swimming and they haven’t washed up on shore, the protocol is to just let it continue on and then give it its space and let nature take its course.”
According to federal law, boaters are required to stay at least 100 yards away from humpbacks. Vessel operators are advised to stay calm, put the engine on neutral and leave the area as soon as the whale leaves if one approaches closer than 100 yards.
The Pacific Whale Foundation, which launched the “Go Slow, Whales Below” outreach campaign, points out on its website that ship strikes and unsustainable tourism practices were significant threats to whales and dolphins.
The nonprofit recommends a slew of measures for boaters, including a speed limit of 15 knots or less, or minimal planing speed, within water 100 fathoms (600ft) deep or less and to reduce vessel speed to six knots when within 400 yards of approaching and departing whales.
