Fisheries officials are asking for the public’s help to save the life of a badly injured humpback whale last seen off the coast of Tofino.
The juvenile humpback appears to tangled in fishing net and was last spotted heading south from Tofino last week.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans tried to rescue the mammal on the weekend, but the whale broke a tether line and escaped.
Officials say the creature is in poor condition, sustaining injuries from the hundreds of metres of fishing gear it is caught in.
Its right pectoral fin has been damaged, and fishing line on its back has cut about eight inches into the whale’s blubber.
DFO is asking anyone who sees the mammal to phone them right away at 1-800-465-4336.
