Sea Shepherd Publishes Disturbing Video of Whale Death

The non-governmental organization (NGO) Sea Shepherd has released disturbing footage of the death of Sweet Girl, a young humpback whale, following a collision with a speeding boat in Tahitian waters. The video depicts the whale in agony, a scene that has prompted the association to announce its intention to file a complaint, condemning the perceived impunity surrounding the death of what they describe as a living being.

The incident occurred on October 16, 2024, and was brought to public attention by Sea Shepherd France, which showed images of Sweet Girl bathing in her own blood, with significant injuries to her upper body. Sea Shepherd described the incident as “an absolute disgrace.” The whale, well-known to locals, ultimately succumbed to her injuries and drowned.

According to Sea Shepherd, the collision was caused by a vessel navigating at 30 knots (approximately 55 km/h), despite the legally enforced speed limit of 5 knots (9 km/h) in the area. Sea Shepherd retrieved data from MarineTraffic to support this claim, noting that ferries were among those traveling at excessive speeds at the time.

In the aftermath, the whale was retrieved by coastguards. Olivier Betremieux, a veterinarian and member of the RGO (Network of Ocean Guardians), who compiled the incident report, stated that Sweet Girl sustained “very severe injuries to the left side, with her upper jaw missing,” making survival impossible.

Sea Shepherd, in collaboration with the Mata Tohora association, plans to lodge a complaint calling for an investigation. The NGO has expressed concern over the potential for impunity in such cases and issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward.

Rachel Moore, a diver and photographer who had accompanied Sweet Girl in the past, shared her grief on social media, expressing disappointment that Sweet Girl’s story, filled with “connection, curiosity, and love,” ended in “pain and suffering.” Moore highlighted that Sweet Girl’s tragedy is not isolated, citing that annually, an estimated 20,000 whales die due to ship collisions, “each a sentient being,” she stressed.

In response to this and similar incidents, the association Oceania plans to launch a petition urging the government to enforce a speed limit of 12 knots or less for all large ships within two kilometers of Tahiti and Moorea during whale season, from July to November. Oceania emphasizes the lack of adequate anti-collision devices on ships for detecting cetaceans, advocating for enhanced protection measures for marine life in Polynesian waters.