A Vancouver-based film company and its drone operator have been fined a total of $30,000 for operating a drone too close to northern resident killer whales. Members of the A5 pod of northern resident killer whales are shown in this handout image provided by Jared Towers, a scientist with the fisheries department.
A statement from Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the fines follow an investigation by the department’s whale protection unit. The department says beach rubbing is a “unique quirk” of the northern residents, which enter shallow waters near the shore, then brush against smooth pebbles in a behaviour that’s thought to help scrape off dead skin and strengthen family bonds.
Ottawa’s statement says it’s the first time a fine has been issued in Canada for the unlawful use of a drone to capture footage of killer whales.