British Columbia·Video

Humpback has whale of a time playing with log off Vancouver Island

An ecology group says the four-year-old whale, named Lorax, played with the log off Comox, B.C., for 45 minutes on Dec. 2.

Ecology group says 4-year-old whale named Lorax dived with piece of wood, held it on its head for 45 minutes

A whale advocacy group recorded a humpback whale named Lorax playing with a log near Comox B.C. on Dec. 2, 2018. (Peter Hamilton/Lifeforce ocean friends)

An ecology organization has posted a video of a humpback whale knocking a log around in the ocean off Comox, B.C.

The four-year-old humpback whale, known as Lorax, played with the log for about 45 minutes, diving back and forth with it and lifting it onto its head, according to Lifeforce director Peter Hamilton. 

Hamilton described the activity, filmed on Dec. 2, as "play logging."

"This rare type of 'play logging' adds to our knowledge of their complex lives," he said about the whale, which he says is female.

It's not the first time Lifeforce has posted video of unique cetacean behaviour near Comox.

Lifeforce aims to raise awareness about the relationship between people, animals and the environment and often conducts research about whales and their habitat in B.C.