BC Rescue Team Reorganizes After Failed Attempt to Capture Little Orca in Secluded Lagoon
A further attempt to rescue a stranded orphaned killer whale calf in a secluded British Columbia lagoon has been postponed from April 13 following an unsuccessful initial capture effort the day before.
An organizer collaborating with the Ehattesaht First Nation on the rescue mission mentioned that the team is regrouping and preparing for the next rescue attempt, but no specific date has been set for the operation yet.
During the initial attempt on Friday, rescuers were unable to capture the young orca despite their efforts to corral her into the lagoon shallows with a net, place her in a sling, and transport her to open waters.
Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal co-ordinator from the Fisheries Department, acknowledged the calf’s intelligence in avoiding capture, prompting a reassessment of their strategies.
Despite the setback, the rescue team, consisting of Ehattesaht First Nation members, Vancouver Aquarium staff, and other experts, remains determined and optimistic as the calf continues to be in good health and swim proficiently.
The two-year-old whale has been isolated in Little Espinosa Inlet, over 450 kilometers northwest of Victoria, for three weeks since her pregnant mother beached at low tide and perished on March 23.
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The two whales initially entered the lagoon last month by traversing a narrow and swiftly moving channel connecting it to the ocean.
Efforts to convince the calf to return through the shallow channel were unsuccessful.
