Pop Tart’s entangled flipper. *Megan MacGregor, Outer Island Excursions*

Renowned Humpback Whale “Pop Tart” Free After Week-Long Entanglement

PWWA, DFO Join Forces Toward Successful Outcome for Entangled Whale

VICTORIA, BC and SEATTLE, WA - July 10, 2026 - The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) is breathing a sigh of relief today after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) confirmed that beloved Salish Sea humpback whale, “Pop Tart”, is swimming free after spending nearly a week entangled in fishing gear (a long rope and buoy) north of the Canada-US border. The result comes after days of collaboration between DFO’s Marine Mammal Response Team and professional whale watchers from both British Columbia and Washington state.

The ordeal began on Thursday, July 2 when crew members with Victoria-based PWWA member company Orca Spirit Adventures spotted a humpback whale with gear wrapped around its pectoral flipper southwest of Victoria, BC. The whale was soon identified as BCY1014 “Pop Tart”, the 2016 calf of famed Salish Sea humpback whale BCY0324 “Big Mama”.

Pop Tart received her endearing name because she loved to pop up and breach out of the water as a young calf.

Orca Spirit Adventures promptly reported the entanglement to DFO, which dispatched a team to the area. When Orca Spirit Adventures had to depart, a vessel from Puget Sound Express in Port Angeles, WA followed by a vessel from Outer Island Excursions in Anacortes, WA kept watch on Pop Tart for approximately three hours until a DFO vessel arrived. Sadly, responders were unable to disentangle Pop Tart that evening, but using a drone, DFO confirmed she was indeed wrapped in fishing gear, and that the rope appeared to be more than 30 metres long. Upon departing for the night, DFO requested assistance from the PWWA to locate Pop Tart the following day.

Unfortunately there were no sightings of Pop Tart on Friday or Saturday, but on Sunday, July 4, a vessel from Puget Sound Express spotted Pop Tart in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the BC/WA border and immediately contacted DFO. Vessels from Sooke, BC-based Sooke Coastal Explorations, Victoria-based Prince of Whales, and Orca Spirit Adventures took turns watching Pop Tart for the next several hours while waiting for DFO to arrive, but frustratingly, Pop Tart went on a dive, disappeared into the fog, and was not seen again for the rest of the day.

On Monday, July 6, the PWWA fleet was more determined than ever to find Pop Tart. Vessels from around the region joined in the search. In a heartening display of cross-company collaboration, Prince of Whales launched a dedicated vessel that morning to search for Pop Tart with a naturalist from nearby SpringTide Tours also aboard to help scan area waters. Orca Spirit Adventures, the same company that first discovered Pop Tart’s entanglement days earlier, ultimately found her again on Monday east of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. This time they, along with a few other PWWA vessels, were able to keep eyes on Pop Tart until DFO arrived.

By Monday afternoon, rescue efforts were hindered by deteriorating weather conditions, but before departing, DFO was able to attach a tracking buoy to the fishing gear around Pop Tart to help relocate her when weather improved.

There were no sightings of Pop Tart on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, July 8, a vessel with Victoria-based Eagle Wing Tours located Pop Tart around 11:00 AM, still east of Race Rocks. To the crew’s delight, the fishing gear that had been wrapped around her flipper for nearly a week was no longer visible. Eagle Wing remained on scene for approximately 30 minutes until DFO arrived and was able to confirm via drone that Pop Tart was completely gear-free. The news was met with cheers from Eagle Wing’s crew and guests, and across the entire PWWA fleet.

“Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the greatest threats to humpback whales not just in the Salish Sea, but globally,” said Erin Gless, PWWA executive director.“Pop Tart’s positive outcome was the direct result of collaboration between PWWA whale watchers and DFO’s trained marine mammal responders. Vessels with the boater education groups Straitwatch (BC) and Soundwatch (WA) also helped search for and track Pop Tart over the past several days.”

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