Dear Editor,

Did you get a chance to go and see the whale at the beach in White Rock? I went down early in the morning with my son, daughter, and two kids that we carpool with. We were excited to see a baby humpback whale and thought we might be able to help out, if we were lucky. I thought it was an opportunity for the kids to see such a wonderful animal up close.

When we arrived in the car park, my husband called on my cell to let us know the baby whale had just died. It was with a heavy heart that we walked along the beach to see it.

We touched its skin and marvelled at the texture. It had crustaceans on it and lots of little crabs. It had lovely white markings on its fins, but was pretty cut up along its back. The kids looked at its eyes and lovely, gilled mouth where it eats krill.

There was a fishing net close by in which it is thought the whale got tangled.

We were all outraged at how this could happen! There are people out there who rob the ocean and damage it. The loss of this little life was down to people and their thoughtlessness.

It makes you feel so helpless that there is nothing you can do. Could these nets be banned in White Rock?

Being a mom, you want to protect these young lives. What a sad day for the humpback whales' pod.

The car ride home was silent, and I was sorry the kids had to learn such a heartbreaking lesson.

I know it made them reflect on what people do to their environment. We all wish there would be something that we could do to help these magnificent creatures.

The baby humpback did not deserve to die at the hands of humans. He should have had a wonderful, wild life out in the ocean. He should have been protected and able to live naturally, in peace with his family.

We will all tell our friends about our sad day.

Ingrid Bird, Langley