An orca calf that had been stranded in a remote lagoon on Vancouver Island off Canada’s west coast for over a month swam out of the lagoon alone early Friday morning, according to the Ehattesaht First Nation.
The seemingly trapped mammal attracted media attention, caused concern among local authorities and led to several aborted rescue attempts.
On Friday, rescuers’ hopes that the calf would disappear on its own were finally realized. After an evening feeding of the calf, a small crew from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Ehattesaht First Nation watched it jump out of the water and play before swimming under a bridge and out across a bay at high tide at 2:30 a.m. according to a press release from the Ehattesaht First Nation.
The young orca, whom locals called “Little Brave Hunter” or “Kʷiisaḥiʔis” in the language of the Ehattesaht First Nation, became stranded in Zeballos Lagoon while traveling with her pregnant mother. The mother orca became trapped on a sandbar in the lagoon’s shallow waters and died on March 23.
After the calf swam out of the bay, the team later found it in Espinosa Bay and followed it from a distance as it moved toward Esperanza Bay proper, the release said. Rescue teams will encourage them to swim out toward the open sea, the release said.
Rescuers hope the calf’s family can now hear her calls so she can be reunited with her herd “with as little human interaction as possible,” the release said.
“We are now in a new phase and while the team is excited, increased patrols and protective measures are being taken to ensure she has no contact with boats or people,” the Ehattesaht First Nation said.
CNN has contacted Fisheries and Oceans Canada for further information.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, orcas – also known as killer whales – are found in all of the world’s oceans. They are very social and live in family pods of up to 20 or more whales. According to the agency, calves typically stay with their mothers for the first two years of life.
In the press release, the Ehattesaht First Nation emphasized the strong connections between “the spirit world, the wildlife and the people that have remained on the land and waters for all time.”
“Events like these have deeper meaning and the timing of their passing will be remembered, talked about and felt for generations to come,” the press release said.
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