The whale’s pregnant mother died after beaching itself Saturday morning while hunting and likely drowned about an hour later as the tide came in.
Marine scientists and First Nations are in a race against time trying to coax an orphaned killer whale out of a small tidal lagoon on North Vancouver Island to the open ocean in hopes the two-year-old will be reunited with its family pod.
Area First Nations, including Ehattesaht Chief Simon John and several members, have been out on the water for hours at a time scouting for orcas and reunification prospects. The DFO said it has several vessels for the process of guiding the calf into open water. Bay Cetology scientists say with the calf’s calls will be heard for several kilometres if it moves into deeper waters.
First Nations performed a funeral ceremony for the deceased orca on Saturday, laying cedar boughs over its body, and Kyle Harry performed a prayer song to memorialize the orca, which are culturally significant, “as a thank-you to our hereditary chiefs.”
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