SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An injured humpback whale was spotted near the San Juan Islands last week.

The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network says people first reported seeing the whale around the Campbell River in British Columbia on July 10.

It was seen again south of Lopez Island on July 23 with its fluke completely severed off.

A whale’s fluke – or tail fins – has a pattern on the underside that’s unique to each individual, similar to a zebra’s stripes, and are a whale’s main source of movement.

Losing it hampers a whale’s ability to migrate and feed, and it has to use more energy because it’s forced to swim abnormally.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Network believes the whale got entangled in some type of gear, which caused its fluke to tear off.

The organization says to call them if you see any kind of distressed, sick or dead marine animal.

You can find a video of the whale near Lopez Island on the Marine Mammal Stranding Network’s Facebook page.