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The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is investigating after a person driving a Sea-Doo struck a grey whale off Vancouver.
Witnesses along Vancouver’s seawall saw the collision unfold in the water near Siwash Rock in Stanley Park around 7:30 p.m. PT on Monday.
Richard Savage had seen the grey whale eating close to the shore off Second Beach on Sunday and went to see the whale again on Monday evening.
"We sat there for some time watching the whale and, while we were doing that, a Sea-Doo kind of ripped past Siwash Rock," Savage said.
A grey whale is seen in Burrard Inlet close to Stanley Park on April 26. The whale was frequently seen in the location over the last two weeks. (Submitted by Kha Nguyen)A few minutes later, he heard the driver travel "very quickly" toward Lions Gate Bridge and then back again toward them.
"It was coming at great speed in between the sailboats and the shoreline again," Savage said. "The whale surfaced and the Sea-Doo collided with the whale."
Richard Savage is seen near Vancouver's seawall on May 5, 2026. He saw the watercraft hit the grey whale on Monday evening. (Caroline Barghout/CBC)He said he watched as the person was "thrown" from the Sea-Doo and called for help.
"I feel devastated for the whale," Savage said. "It's a shame, really, that we can't coexist with these creatures."
Kevin Connolly was filming the whale on Monday and captured the collision.
"This guy had previously gone past on a personal watercraft, like he was going at a very high speed, and the whale had [surfaced] probably about five times in two minutes," Connolly said.
In a Facebook post, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue said a sailboat in the area was able to reach the injured operator of the watercraft and administer first aid before search and rescue members arrived to treat the patient and transport them to the dock.
B.C. Emergency Health Services spokesperson Vincent Chou said they were notified at 7:54 p.m. of a person in need of medical assistance on the water. He said search and rescue crew brought the patient to a waiting ambulance where paramedics provided emergency medical care.
The patient was transported to hospital in serious but stable condition, Chou said.
DFO confirmed it is investigating the incident. The federal department has the authority to enforce marine regulations and species protection laws.
Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Darren Wong said the department is working with DFO to investigate the incident, but it's too soon to say if charges will be laid.
Catherine Jardine, who lives in an apartment overlooking English Bay, says she's been observing the whale since it arrived in the area. She says she and her partner saw what they believe was the same one moving about Tuesday morning without any obvious signs of injury.
"Like, we can see some plumes of silt coming up and it's also turning on its side. The fluke's coming out of the water slightly. That's the behaviour that it's had previous to today," she said.
WATCH | It's not known if the grey whale was injured:A video of a jet ski rider hitting a grey whale at high speed in Vancouver’s harbour has triggered an investigation by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. It’s unclear if the animal was injured, but one expert says the collision appeared to be avoidable.This year, seven grey whales have been found dead off Vancouver Island, and experts believe many of them are starving to death as they migrate north to their feeding grounds in the Arctic.
Jackie Hildering with the Marine Education and Research Society said the collision appeared to be completely avoidable.
"The video is horrifying and is the worst case scenario or very close to it," Hildering said.
The grey whale has been feeding off Vancouver for days, drawing crowds of people to watch it.
WATCH | Grey whales found dead off Vancouver Island:Four grey whales have been found dead in B.C. waters in 10 days and there's been a spike in deaths all along the Pacific Coast, including in U.S. waters. As the CBC's Alanna Kelly reports, researchers say it's an alarming trend that is part of a broader issue."They're often close to shore, and then a vessel travelling at that speed is completely disproportionate to what should be done to be safe, alert, and have the potential of being legal," Hildering said.
She said it’s too early to tell if the animal was severely injured.
"It remains to be seen if the whale survives," Hildering said. "It's our responsibility to be educated. It's a responsibility to be alert."
Marine mammal regulations require boaters to stay a minimum of 100 metres away from grey whales and 200 metres from a grey whale with a calf.
"That might allow for charges to be laid here. But this really appears reckless and careless," Hildering said.