A grey whale among a population that is listed as a special concern in Canada has washed ashore on a Vancouver Island beach.
Parks Canada says the whale was spotted floating offshore on May 6, then it landed the next day on Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve near Tofino.
The federal agency is warning visitors to the popular beach not to touch the whale and to keep dogs on leash.
The Fisheries Department says in a statement its marine mammal response team is working with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and Parks Canada to secure the animal and perform a necropsy.
It says the cause of death won’t be confirmed until after the necropsy reports are complete, which usually takes two to three months.
The department says the whale is part of the Eastern North Pacific population, which was assessed in 2005 as being of special concern under the federal Species at Risk Act.
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