Rescuers plan to airlift orca calf from lagoon
Plans are underway to airlift a stranded killer whale calf out of a remote tidal lagoon off northern Vancouver Island in an effort to reunite the young orca with its extended family.
Fisheries Department and First Nations officials say the plans involve placing the two-year-old calf into a sling, lifting it out of the lagoon by helicopter and putting it in a holding net pen in the ocean while they wait for its family pod to be near for release. The plan was agreed to Wednesday during a meeting between members of the Ehattesaht First Nation council, Fisheries Department officials and marine technical experts.
Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John says his people have deep cultural and spiritual connections to killer whales and the nation has been receiving calls of concern and support from around the world.
Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal co-ordinator with the Fisheries Department, says the rescue could occur within days, but more likely within the next two weeks.
Rescuers have been unable to coax the young whale out of the area since its pregnant mother was stranded at low tide in the lagoon and died on March 23.
Pervious efforts to get the calf to open water have included using a flotilla of boats to set a series of directional lines leading out of the lagoon and playing recorded whale calls from its family.
Cottrell said officials were on the water Tuesday launching their feeding plan, which involved placing prey and using a waterproof drone to observe the young killer whale. He said the drone video footage and photos will give marine mammal experts a better sense of the calf 's health.
“We want to see if there's any interest in harbour seals,” said Cottrell.
“There's a lot of fish and there are birds and this animal was seen ingesting a bird recently. The animal's actively looking for prey. That's a great sign.”