ZEBALLOS, BC – A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been called off after it began eating seal meat dumped in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John said the young orca swam to an area of the lagoon where members of the neighboring Nuchatlaht First Nation dumped about 18 kilograms of seal meat into the water Thursday night.
They saw her grab the pieces in her mouth and dive below the surface. A video of the meeting was posted on Facebook.
“It was really a joy,” John said of the orca’s consumption of seal meat. “It was what I needed. It’s the first time we confirmed it. It gives us a little more comfort, for sure.”
Veterinarians have been closely monitoring the two-year-old whale for any signs of deteriorating health and to see if it is feeding in the lagoon, 450 kilometers northwest of Victoria.
She has been trapped alone for four weeks since her mother became stranded during low tide and died.
An initial attempt last Friday to corral the 700-kilogram orca so rescuers could take it to the open sea failed when the calf refused to leave the deep parts of the lagoon.
John said the young orca’s decision to eat seal meat, the preferred food of Bigg’s orcas, will likely give the rescue team more time to prepare for another rescue attempt.
“We’re looking at maybe a week,” he said, adding that the First Nation will continue trying to feed the whale. “I think it’s a good time to rest.”
Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator for the Department of Fisheries, said feeding the whales gave the rescue team more options and time.
“We are very happy that this is happening,” he said. “This is all good news. We are very happy.”
He said the rescue team could now employ a “carrot option” to take the orca to a shallow end of the lagoon or perhaps even under the bridge leading to the open sea using seal meat as an attractant.
“It’s really up to our calf to see how they respond,” Cottrell said. “It gives us optimism.
He said the rescue team was prepared to deploy on Friday, but was withdrawn after the pup ate the seal meat.
Cottrell said concerns about the calf’s health, particularly changes in body condition near the vent, had worried veterinarians.
A seine boat arrived in Zeballos, British Columbia, ahead of the second planned rescue operation for the whale, which the Ehattesaht First Nation has named kwiisahi?is, or Brave Little Hunter.
John said the crew of the Campbell River area Indigenous purse seine boat and other members of the rescue were sent home Friday after the rescue was put on hold.
The First Nation has said the rescue operation has been very costly for the band.
In Victoria on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had ensured the Department of Fisheries was reaching out to the community and would continue to engage with the nation.
“I think we are all following this story closely. It is heartbreaking and we are all concerned,” he said.
John said he was pleased that Trudeau expressed concern for the young orca and supported the rescue effort.
“I’m really grateful to the prime minister,” he said.
He did not elaborate on the costs of the rescue effort or the country’s decision to start a Go Fund Me campaign to help cover expenses.
Feeding video posted on Facebook shows the young orca surfacing and circling near the shore while a person sings: “Hello kwiisahi?is, hello kwiisahi?is.”
After a piece of meat falls into the water, the whale quickly tears it off the surface and then dives.
“She got it! Good girl,” says one observer.
In a second scene, the whale picks up a piece of meat that is still floating on the surface.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2024.