A California gray whale was harpooned and shot by five members of the Makah tribe Saturday morning, said Petty Officer Third Class Kelly Parker, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s District 13 office in Seattle.
Peninsula Daily News photojournalist Keith Thorpe, in a chartered airplane over the scene, said the gray whale appeared not to be dead, countering earlier reports. Orange floats were seen in the whale’s tail area.
The whale remains injured in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, attended by three Cost Guard Vessels from Neah Bay that are enforcing a 1,000-yard safety perimeter, Kelly said.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Makah Tribal Police, National Marine Fisheries Service, Washington State Patrol and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating the matter, Kelly said.
According to eyewitnesses, a gray while had been harpooned by 9:30 a.m. about a quarter-mile off Seal and Sail rocks, about 2 miles east of Neah Bay.
The witness said the boaters also fired rifles at the whale until it stopped moving.
Officials of the Makah tribe have declined to officially comment, but said that the incident looks to be an unsanctioned whale hunt.
The Makah Tribal Council was meeting, and a PDN reporter is outside the closed-door session.
A complete report will appear in Sunday editions of the Peninsula Daily News, on sale throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties.
