Sick killer whale may need to be captured
Hands-on physical examination could be required to save deathly ill orca J50
Capturing and treating an extremely sick and endangered killer whale may be the next step in her rescue attempt, say officials leading the operation in Canada and the United States.
The extraordinary measure would allow rescuers to conduct a hands-on, physical examination.
If the young killer whale known as J50 is stranded on a beach or separated from her family, officials say they’re laying out steps that would involve capturing and treating her before returning her to the wild.
Chris Yates, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S., said the ultimate objective is that J50 survive in the wild and contribute to the recovery of southern resident killer whales.
“We are preparing along with our partners to rescue J50 if she is ultimately separated from her family unit, or stranded and rescuing her is the only alternative before us.”
Officials don’t intend to intervene if she’s with her pod, he said.
“We do not intend to intervene or capture J50 in a manner contrary to that objective, or when there’s a negative impact to her pod or the wild population,” he said during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
Putting the whale in captivity isn’t their objective, said Yates, who is the assistant regional administrator for protected resources with NOAA Fisheries.
Andrew Thomson, regional director for Canada’s Department of Fisheries, said it’s a difficult situation.
“We’re trying to be in the best prepared position, should a rescue be required through separation or stranding.”
The latest aerial photos of the whale show a noticeable loss of fat behind the head, which creates the “peanut head” appearance.
Veterinarian Joe Gaydos, who is with the SeaDoc Society, a marine wildlife program based out of the University of California, Davis, saw her most recently and said she is in extremely poor condition.
“She was the thinnest killer whale I’ve ever seen. This is a very sick whale.”
The orca known as J50 is one of only 75 remaining southern resident killer whales and has declined over recent months to the point where she is emaciated and often lagging behind her family.
The southern resident killer whales don’t have enough chinook salmon, the staple of their diet. They also face threats from toxic contamination, and vessel noise and disturbances that disrupt their ability to communicate and forage.
There hasn’t been a successful birth in the population since 2015. Losing J50 would also mean losing her reproductive potential.
NOAA Fisheries said the next steps could include doing a hands-on physical exam, which could lead to quick medical treatment and release. Another option at that point would be holding her in a marine net pen in Puget Sound for a short time for rehabilitation and medical care before returning her to the wild to reunite with her family.
J50 has lagged behind her group in the ocean, at times trailing for miles, raising questions about what criteria would be used to determine if she has separated enough for scientists to attempt capture.
Yates said J50 would have to show more extreme behaviour than what she has exhibited so far, and scientists will act if they don’t believe she’ll reconnect with her pod.
What to do to help J50 has generated intense emotional reactions on social media and other forums. Some have pleaded with federal officials to do everything they can to save her, including feeding her or capturing her. Others worry that more intervention would stress her and her family members. They think that nature should be allowed to run its course.
“We would love J50 to survive,” said Susan Berta, co-founder of the Orca Network, an advocacy group. “At what point are we doing more harm than good?”