The Aporia · Dead humpback whale that was struck by ferry towed to First Nation for ceremony

A dead humpback whale named Notcho (BCX1700), struck by B.C. Ferries' Queen of Surrey on October 18 near Keats Island, was towed to Xwemelch’stn village in West Vancouver for a Squamish Nation cultural ceremony. The whale’s missing fluke and peduncle confirm it is the same animal involved in the collision. Chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams emphasized whales' sacred status within their culture, stating that community members are invited to pay respects privately through songs and prayers.

Written by AI on 2026-10-30, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

A dead humpback whale identified as Notcho (BCX1700) was towed to a village in Squamish Nation territory for a cultural ceremony after being struck by a B.C. Ferries vessel on October 18, 2026. The whale's body was found floating off Gambier Island on Monday night, with significant damage including the absence of its fluke and peduncle. Ferry passengers reported feeling a collision while traveling between Langdale Terminal on the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. A necropsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) confirmed that the incident occurred between Grace Point and Keats Island, highlighting the impact of ferry traffic on marine life.

Written for “Dead Whale Towed For Ceremony” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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📰 Dead Whale Towed For Ceremony

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Alanna Kelly

10 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation said whales are considered sacred relatives with profound cultural and spiritual importance.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Dead humpback whale that was struck by ferry towed to First Nation for ceremony

🔮 "DFO is reviewing the situation and will work to identify the whale and assess its condition," DFO said.

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · DFO searching for injured whale struck by B.C. Ferries vessel in Howe Sound

🔮 "I loved my horses more than I could ever explain.

2026-10-07 · assertive framing · 'Unimaginable loss': Horses killed on B.C. highway while travelling to championship

🔮 District of Squamish rejects $142M Woodfibre LNG deal Woodfibre LNG proposed a contribution of at least $142 million over 10 years to the community The District of Squamish has rejected a deal that would have seen the operators of the Woodfibre LNG project contribute $142 million over 10 years.

2026-09-23 · assertive framing · B.C.'s District of Squamish rejects $142M Woodfibre LNG deal

🔮 Jonathan Levine considers himself lucky to be alive after his kayak capsized in the ocean during what he thought would be a leisurely paddle in Howe Sound.

2026-09-17 · assertive framing · Maritime experts urge use of verified weather reports after kayaker capsizes in B.C. waters

🔮 “Maybe it's not that sweet right now if I try it, but back then it felt so sweet," he said.

2026-09-05 · assertive framing · B.C. man lost for 5 nights in mountains near Squamish shares survival story

🔮 The road he was walking on is on the backside of Mount Habrich Loop and he would have gone through difficult and technical terrain to reach the road.

2026-09-05 · assertive framing · B.C. man who went missing in mountains for several days found alive

🔮 Domtar says announcement will affect approximately 400 employees Domtar has announced what it describes as the "indefinite idling" of operations at the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast. The announcement came during a town hall meeting for employees on Aug. 20 at the site in Port Mellon.

2026-08-21 · assertive framing · B.C.'s Howe Sound Pulp and Paper announces mill operations stopping indefinitely

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2026-08-11 · assertive framing · Hiker escapes after being attacked by grizzly bear in backcountry near Pemberton, B.C.

Also by Alanna Kelly

DFO searching for injured whale struck by B.C. Ferries vessel in Howe Sound

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Dead humpback whale that was struck by ferry towed to First Nation for ceremony A necropsy is being conducted on the whale to determine the exact cause of death A dead humpback whale that was struck by a B.C. Ferries vessel has been towed to a Squamish Nation village for a cultural ceremony.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-30

🔮 Chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation said whales are considered sacred relatives with profound cultural and spiritual importance.

2026-10-30 · CBC News

Dead humpback whale that was struck by ferry towed to First Nation for ceremony · assertive framing

that → strike → ceremony

The whale, identified as Notcho (BCX1700), was seen floating off Gambier Island on Monday night after being struck a week earlier in the same area. asserted

whale → identify → area

Ferry passengers say they felt a collision with a whale on Oct. 18 while travelling on the Queen of Surrey, travelling between Langdale Terminal on the Sunshine Coast and Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. asserted

they → say → Vancouver

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said the collision happened between Grace Point and Keats Island. asserted

collision → say → Point

Aspen Wing and her son watched as a humpback whale was struck by a ferry leaving the Langdale terminal on the Sunshine Coast on Oct. 18, 2026. asserted

whale → watch → Oct.

Paul Cottrell, a member of the DFO’s marine mammal response team, said they found the whale on Tuesday and confirmed it was the same whale that was struck. asserted

that → say → Tuesday

He said Notch’s fluke and peduncle were missing from the rest of its body. asserted

fluke → say → body

The DFO and the Canadian Coast Guard have now towed the whale's bloated carcass from West Bay near Gambier Island to the village of Xwemelch’stn (Capilano) in West Vancouver. asserted

DFO → tow → Vancouver

Chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation said whales are considered sacred relatives with profound cultural and spiritual importance. asserted

whales → say → importance

"There’s a deep connection historically, [and] having whales coming back through our waters means a lot to our people," Williams said. asserted

Williams → ’ → people

The dead humpback whale was found by the Grace Islands off B.C.'s coast, according to the Marine Education and Research Society. uncertain

whale → find → Society

The Canadian Coast Guard contacted Williams about the whale, and the Squamish Nation quickly assembled a team. asserted

Nation → contact → team

"We have an elder that has travelled down from the far west of [Vancouver] Island that has experience in harvesting whales," Williams said. asserted

Williams → have → whales

Whale skin and bones can be used for regalia, he explained, and could even be used in part of education and school curricula. uncertain

he → use → education

"We're looking at providing time for community members to come down, maybe having the little ones' school come down as a field trip," Williams said. asserted

Williams → look → trip

The dead whale is seen floating on the shore near Burrard Inlet off Squamish Nation’s Xwemelch’stn (Capilano) village. asserted

whale → see → village

"A lot of people that reached out today want to go down and just share a song, drum, and sing and share a prayer," Williams said on Thursday. asserted

Williams → reach → Thursday

Chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation is seen on Oct. 29, 2026. asserted

Williams → see → Oct.

The Squamish Nation is planning to hold a private cultural ceremony, and is asking the public for privacy. asserted

Nation → plan → privacy

"Being on site was challenging today because our hearts go out to the loss of life, and you can feel the power of such a beautiful mammal," Williams said. asserted

Williams → go → mammal

The DFO is conducting a necropsy and collecting samples to determine the whale's exact cause of death, and the results are expected to take months. asserted

results → conduct → months

Dead humpback whale that was struck by ferry towed to First Nation for ceremony

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