Rescuers pause efforts to free trapped orca calf
kʷiisaḥiʔis, or Brave Little Hunter, has been stuck in a B.C. lagoon alone for weeks since her mother died
Members of the Ehattesaht First Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Vancouver Aquarium have temporarily suspended an operation to move a stranded killer whale calf out of a remote Vancouver Island lagoon and into open water.
The rescue team says it will have to change tactics after being "truly humbled at the intelligence, adaptability and resilience" of the calf who "simply decided she was not ready to be moved" on Friday, according to a joint statement.
The two-year-old female transient killer whale, known as kʷiisaḥiʔis (Brave Little Hunter), has been stuck in the tidal lagoon near the village of Zeballos, on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, since March 23, when its pregnant mother became trapped by the low tide and died on a rocky beach.
The DFO said kʷiisaḥiʔis evaded several attempts to coax her into the shallow end of the lagoon during Friday's rescue, and returned to the area she has been hanging out in.
"Any time people undertake an effort like this you have to be prepared that the animal may not want to co-operate," the statement said.
Paul Cottrell, DFO marine mammal co-ordinator, said at the rescue site that the outcome was disappointing after a "huge effort."
"We're kind of looking at other options now going forward, realizing that this animal is very smart," Cottrell said. "It's adapting to our tactics and we're gonna try a different tactic going forward."
He said the team remained optimistic and "the team's not giving up."
The orca was examined by experts and veterinarian staff from the Vancouver Aquarium, and still appears to be in good health and is swimming well.
Calf to be transported in sling
For weeks, experts — including First Nation members, DFO marine mammal experts, whale scientists and boat and machine operators — have gathered in the small community of about 200 people to plan how to free the killer whale calf.
They have spent much of the past week in meetings preparing for a rescue attempt, which Ehattesaht Chief Simon John has said the nation considers to be a pivotal moment in its modern history.
The DFO said in a release that it was planning to use a sling to lift kʷiisaḥiʔis out of the lagoon and transport the calf to open water.
On Thursday, rescuers were practising lifting the sling with an excavator and transporting it to the bed of a truck.
DFO has said the road to the lagoon will be closed during the rescue to protect the orca's safety.
The Ehattesaht First Nation said in a release that the whale's health is at the forefront of all decisions.
"When we look at [kʷiisaḥiʔis] from a distance we can't really see too many changes but her calls are certainly the hardest part of the past two weeks," the release said.
"They are sorrowful and as they go unanswered, your heart sinks."
Past rescue attempts to free the orca have unfortunately been unsuccessful.
Previously, rescuers tried to coax the whale out of the lagoon by using recorded killer whale vocalizations.
On March 28, around 10 boats attempted to herd the orca by using oikomi pipes, which are made out of metal and create a loud noise underwater when struck. But to escape the lagoon, the orca would have to pass over the same sandbar where its mother was beached and died.
At one point, DFO even considered lifting kʷiisaḥiʔis out of the lagoon via helicopter, but it has since abandoned that plan.
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With files from Melody Jacobson, Michelle Gomez and The Canadian Press