An orca was stranded near Zeballos on Saturday morning and has not survived.
A video of the incident went viral, showing a group of people trying to rescue the stranded female orca near the Zeballos causeway while her calf swam close by.
The Marine Education and Research Society reported that the female, believed to be a Bigg’s killer whale, passed away despite dedicated efforts.
The Port McNeill-based marine conservation society stated on social media that the rising tide and inability to reposition her led to her death.
Paul Cottrell, Department of Fisheries and Oceans marine mammal coordinator, mentioned that the incident was reported on Saturday at around 8:30 a.m. and the whale's death occurred about an hour later. A team is en route to identify the whale, he said, adding that this is the first report of a beached orca in 2024.
Sound on. There is a beached orca right now in Zebellos, a village on Vancouver Island. DFO have been advised. High tide is at 12:43 in a couple hours. Original video: Tracy Smith
Posted by Strong Coast on Saturday, March 23, 2024
DFO is focused on achieving the best possible outcome for the orca calf and is collaborating with local First Nations in the response, he mentioned.
The Marine Education and Research Society informed that the calf stayed close by following the death of its mother.
The survival of the calf will depend on its age and the family structure of the whale group it belongs to, the society noted.
It is not clear why the female orca was stranded, the society said, and added that the whales might have come in during a high tide, possibly for hunting.
The location where the whale was stranded is known to become shallow rapidly during a falling tide.
A female orca died after becoming stranded near the Zeballos causeway on Saturday. Volunteers attempted to assist the whale.
The nearby Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, whose members were among the first to respond to the scene, have since sent several boats into Nootka Sound to search for an orca pod that might be able to take in the calf.
People are being cautioned to avoid the causeway during the cleanup and investigation.
Read more stories from the Times Colonist here.
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