The baby whale was found struggling to swim in the water (Picture: Francis Perez)

This is the heartbreaking moment a whale calf is found floating helplessly in the water after its tail was chopped off by a boat.

The short fin pilot whale was discovered with its severed tail hanging off its body by marine experts off the coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

It was struggling to swim along with its pod which stays by its side.

Underwater photographer Francis Pérez was called to rescue the whale along with a marine biologist and wildlife veterinarian.


They pulled the calf out of the water and onto their boat but it had no chance of recovery.

The calf’s pod stays by its side after the tragic collision with a boat (Picture: Francis Perez)

The short fin pilot whale was swimming with its pod in the Canary Islands (Picture: Francis Perez)

All they could do was keep the calf sedated until it died, sparing it any more unnecessary suffering.



Pérez said it was ‘one of the saddest days’ he’s had documenting ocean life in the Canary Islands.

He said: ‘I was hoping that the cuts were caused by sharks bites, but no, they were caused by an irrational animal, human.

‘And according to the necropsy, by a sharp object, as a propeller of a small boat.’

The stricken calf was migrating across the Teno-Rasca marine strip, a designated zone of special conservation.

The whale’s injuries were so severe it had to be put down (Picture: Francis Perez)

The whale was sedated until it passed away (Picture: Francis Perez)

It is home to one of the most important pilot whale populations in the world, but the risk of deadly collisions is high due to the heavy traffic of ferries and vessels.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen said Pérez’s ‘horrific image’ should be a ‘wake-up call’ for change.

He said: ‘What the rest of us need to do is to become more engaged. Enforcing regulations on vessel speed limits is very difficult but it all begins with awareness and public pressure; the kind that demands that the voices of thousands of people are heard.

‘As angry and sad as this makes me, I am also extremely motivated to do something about this. I am working with Sea Legacy to create a global movement of people who want to push for legislative changes that prevent this type of accident.’

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