Heartbreaking footage shows a young humpback after its jaw was ripped apart from a head-on collision with a ferry last week.
The female whale, named Sweet Girl, was swimming near a port in Tahiti on October 8 when a boat left the area traveling six times the permitted speed, according to wildlife organization Sea Shepard.
Aftermath shot by conservationist divers showed the creature’s upper mouth sliced off and blood spilling from the wounds.
She drowned after ‘several hours of agony’, according to Sea Shephard, a wildlife organization that shared the video.
The ferry was allegedly traveling 30 knots through a port where speed was limited to five knots.
Doctor Agnès Benet, founder of the marine conservation group Mata Tohora, told DailyMail.com: ‘Mata Tohora was called at 9:50 am… [but] the whale died very quickly after its arrival.
‘It drowned due to impacts and fractures to the nasal bone in particular.’
A young humpback whale, named Sweet Girl, tragically died after being struck head on by a speeding ferry in Tahiti on October 8
The two wildlife conservation groups have filed a complaint to the local government, requesting a criminal investigation.
‘We will do everything possible to identify and convict the criminals who did this. We are also launching an appeal for witnesses,’ the group said.
While details about the whale and incident are sparse, the video showed the top part of her month was taken completely off.
Blood poured from the opening, leaving a trail as she attempted to reach the surface.
The video also captured the young humpback’s screams of pain.
Rachel Moore, a underwater photographer, was with Sweet Girl just four days prior to her death, and shared a tribute on her Instagram page.
‘She had many names here, but I liked to call her Sweet Girl. Over the past few weeks, she touched so many lives,’ Moore wrote.
‘She was brutally disfigured and endured hours of pain and suffering before finally succumbing to her wounds and drowning.
Underwater footage captured the disfigured whale. The boat sliced the top part of its mouth completely off
Blood was spewing from the wound as the whale was heard releasing cries of distress
There are about 3,200 humpback whales living around the Islands of Tahiti, with around 80,000 worldwide
‘I still can’t believe this happened to her; she didn’t deserve this after all the kindness and curiosity she showed us humans. In the end, we are responsible for her death.’
Moore continued to explain that the devastating fate is endured by 20,000 whales die each year.
There are about 3,200 humpback whales living around the Islands of Tahiti, with around 80,000 worldwide.
But the French Polynesia islands are home to the world’s largest marine mammal sanctuary.
Whale-watching is an important source of income for region, and authorities have taken steps to promote responsible tourism to protect the cetaceans.
In April, regulations imposed a safety distance of 330 feet between the animal and authorized boats, while swimmers must stay 50 feet away.
Julien Anton, a guide for Tahiti Dive Management, said: ‘This is one of the last places on the planet where we are allowed to observe them at such close quarters.
However, environmental associations and some scientists have criticized the boom in whale-watching activities.
The Polynesian association Mata Tohora, which works to protect marine mammals, says there are far too many boats on the water.
Agnes Benet, a biologist and founder of the association, said: ‘We need to limit the number of boats around the whales and dolphins. It’s a question of managing the activity, which needs to be done quickly.’
“You can swim with the whales without disturbing them,” she added.
“It’s possible if you take the time, if you’re patient and if you do it with love.”
