CELPIP Listening Part 4 Practice Test: Whale in the Harbour

NARRATOR: A humpback whale drew hundreds of onlookers to the Halifax waterfront on Tuesday after it was spotted feeding just metres from the downtown ferry terminal. The animal, estimated at roughly twelve metres in length, first surfaced shortly after seven in the morning, startling commuters waiting for the Dartmouth ferry. Harbour authorities briefly suspended ferry crossings and instructed pleasure boaters to remain at least one hundred metres away, a precaution that delayed thousands of passengers by nearly an hour. Marine biologist Claire Gagnon says humpbacks seldom venture this deep into the harbour, but explains that unusually large schools of herring have been reported near the shoreline this autumn. In her view, the whale is probably healthy and simply following its food. Gagnon cautioned, however, that the harbour's heavy traffic poses genuine dangers, particularly collisions with large vessels, which remain a leading cause of injury among whales on the Atlantic coast. Not everyone appreciated the spectacle. Several commuters complained on social media that they had missed morning meetings. By early afternoon, the whale had drifted back toward the harbour entrance, and regular service resumed. Officials are asking anyone who sees it again to report the sighting rather than approach the animal.