Stories from Tri-City News headlines of decades past is a recurring feature as the publication marks its 40th anniversary in 2024.
In the spring of 1993, a whale of a tale was surfacing in Port Moody.
A giant Gray whale had reportedly wandered up Burrard Inlet and marine mammal scientists were eager to get a close look.
Tipped by a Deep Cove neighbour, Vancouver Aquarium’s John Ford headed up Indian Arm in a rowboat one evening and got within 200 metres of the creature that he was able to determine was larger than a calf — about 10 to 13 metres in length.
Biology teachers Rod MacVicar and Don MacRae were also on the lookout.
MacVicar said the quiet waters of Indian Arm may have offered some sanctuary for the whale and its unusual feeding behaviour may have kept it out of sight.
He said Gray whales usually scrape their giant mouths along the bottom mud, strain out the edible goodies, then surface to blow two or three times.
But this whale seemed to head up only once before feeding again.
Ford said it was unusual to see a Gray whale in Burrard Inlet as they usually make their migration from winter feeding grounds off Mexico to their summer residence in Alaskan waters along the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The Tri-City News has covered civic affairs, local crime, festivals, events, personalities, sports and arts in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody since 1983. Bound back issues of the paper are available at the Coquitlam Archives, while digital versions of several past years can be found at issuu.com.
