The great orca hunt is on.
Jean-Michel Cousteau is, like his late father Jacques-Yves Cousteau, an ocean explorer. He is in New Zealand this month to find and film orcas, or killer whales, using the experience and contacts of whale researcher Dr Ingrid Visser.
Orcas are the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family, and this is the time of year to spot them, said Dr Visser.
"Because it's cold, they come in closer to shore to hunt rays for food."
Dr Visser relies on the public to help spot orcas. "We have an 0800 number, and people just ring and let us know where they are."
Mr Cousteau, his son Fabien and a crew of seven hope to establish a pattern of orca migration worldwide, to discover why the creatures in Papua New Guinea display similar characteristics to those found in New Zealand waters. The similarities include feeding habits and behavioural practices.
Although the creatures are not tagged, there are ways of identifying them that make tracking possible.
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"They are noticeably different to each other. Some have scars and scratches from fighting, and they have ways of behaving that sort out one from another. They are just like humans, really," said Mr Cousteau.
Filming the black and white mammals has taken the team to British Columbia and Alaska, as well as Papua New Guinea. Later in the year they hope to go to Norway.
Although he has not worked with Dr Visser before, he has been to New Zealand many times. While in New Zealand they will be based in Northland and Auckland.
Mr Cousteau runs the Ocean Futures Society, an organisation which promotes the importance of wise environmental policy. His most recent film, Return to the Amazon, records the devastation and damage done to the river in the past 20 years.
He is based in California, from where he works with organisations such as Green Cross International on issues of global water security, protection of sensitive marine areas and the prevention of oil spills.
Cousteau the younger no longer has any involvement with the Cousteau Society, set up by his father in 1973 to raise funds for ocean exploration, research and exploration.
maandag 30 juni 2008
donderdag 26 juni 2008
Killer whales kill humpback off coast of Australia
PERTH, Australia - A humpback whale that appeared to have been fatally attacked by a pod of killer whales washed up on an Australian beach Thursday, a conservation official said.
The whale carcass was found in shallow surf on Tern Island south of the Western Australia state capital Perth with signs that it had been attacked at sea, said Doug Coughran of the state's environment and conservation department.
"The whale has injuries indicative of killer whale activity," Coughran said.
"Killer whales often take out the bottom jaw of whales and eat the tongue, and that is what has happened on this occasion," he said.
He said the humpback's body also had signs that it had been chewed by sharks.
Coughran said the body would be moved so that it did not attract sharks and other predators to the area.
Humpback whales are currently migrating north from the Antarctic Ocean, and are commonly seen near Australia's coast at this time of year.
The whale carcass was found in shallow surf on Tern Island south of the Western Australia state capital Perth with signs that it had been attacked at sea, said Doug Coughran of the state's environment and conservation department.
"The whale has injuries indicative of killer whale activity," Coughran said.
"Killer whales often take out the bottom jaw of whales and eat the tongue, and that is what has happened on this occasion," he said.
He said the humpback's body also had signs that it had been chewed by sharks.
Coughran said the body would be moved so that it did not attract sharks and other predators to the area.
Humpback whales are currently migrating north from the Antarctic Ocean, and are commonly seen near Australia's coast at this time of year.
woensdag 25 juni 2008
Passengers get up close to killer whales
TOURISTS who joined the NorthCoast Explorer for a trip round the uninhabited island of Stroma got an unexpected and spectacular bonus in the shape of a pod of orcas.
No-one was more excited about the sighting than Inverness amateur photographer Jerry Boyle who joined the excursion at the last minute on Sunday.
He had been scanning the island with his binoculars from John O'Groats, and could not believe his eyes when he spotted a group of the killer whales heading west in the inner sound, the latest in a series of wildlife sightings which have become attractions in themselves for Pentland Firth travellers.
Jerry rushed onto the pier, donned the required waterproof gear and life jacket and boarded the RIB which took off to rendezvous with the pod near the beacon at the south-west end of Stroma where the passengers on the John O'Groats to Burwick ferry, Pentland Venture, were already enjoying the amazing spectacle. The Explorer shadowed the pod as it travelled slowly up the west side of Stroma towards the lighthouse, Jerry recording these remarkable pictures on the way.
Spokesman for NorthCoast Marine Adventures David Steele described it as "the best trip" he had experienced in the eight years the RIB has been in operation, and added: "To get so close to these magnificent predators was humbling and I think skipper Alistair Jack and I were as excited as the passengers. This has been a good year so far for cetacean sightings."
Describing the scene, he said: "The RIB followed the whales as they went very close to the rocks in only a few metres of water and we watched as the calves with typical youthful exuberance performed rolls and back flips.
"Near the north of the island, we came across hundreds of seals on the rocks and, at one point, it looked as if the whales might have been contemplating lunch as three split off from the main group and headed for the rocks.
"Many of the seals were obviously agitated, being put in the role of lunch, but a few, either through ignorance or stupidity, stayed in the water.
"The seals got a reprieve, though, as the whales seemed to lose interest and turned away at the last moment."
The pod eventually headed out into the Pentland Firth, one of the group performing a final encore to the remarkable marine display – it leapt almost right out of the water immediately behind the Explorer at the edge of the Swilkie tidal race before disappearing beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, National Whale and Dolphin Week which began on Saturday (June 21) had a reasonable start in Caithness.
Karen Munro made the first "spot", from the Thurso caravan park viewpoint, when she saw a minke whale, and was followed by a Thurso harbour porpoise sighting by Colin Bird, the Sea Watch Foundation group co-ordinator for north-east Scotland.
The porpoise turned out to be one of several sightings during the two-hour watch and included a group of four, accompanied by a small calf.
The next event was at Swiney Hill, Lybster, in much improved weather, when a Risso's dolphin was spotted, and as the watch concluded there came a report of a basking shark feeding at the Wick harbour entrance. Mr Bird raced to the scene in time to see the shark close to the North Bath.
Weather conditions took a turn for the worse on Sunday and two watches had to be cancelled. However, two further events will be held on Saturday (June 28), at Duncansby Head, at 1pm, and at Whaligoe Steps the following day starting at 5pm.
No-one was more excited about the sighting than Inverness amateur photographer Jerry Boyle who joined the excursion at the last minute on Sunday.
He had been scanning the island with his binoculars from John O'Groats, and could not believe his eyes when he spotted a group of the killer whales heading west in the inner sound, the latest in a series of wildlife sightings which have become attractions in themselves for Pentland Firth travellers.
Jerry rushed onto the pier, donned the required waterproof gear and life jacket and boarded the RIB which took off to rendezvous with the pod near the beacon at the south-west end of Stroma where the passengers on the John O'Groats to Burwick ferry, Pentland Venture, were already enjoying the amazing spectacle. The Explorer shadowed the pod as it travelled slowly up the west side of Stroma towards the lighthouse, Jerry recording these remarkable pictures on the way.
Spokesman for NorthCoast Marine Adventures David Steele described it as "the best trip" he had experienced in the eight years the RIB has been in operation, and added: "To get so close to these magnificent predators was humbling and I think skipper Alistair Jack and I were as excited as the passengers. This has been a good year so far for cetacean sightings."
Describing the scene, he said: "The RIB followed the whales as they went very close to the rocks in only a few metres of water and we watched as the calves with typical youthful exuberance performed rolls and back flips.
"Near the north of the island, we came across hundreds of seals on the rocks and, at one point, it looked as if the whales might have been contemplating lunch as three split off from the main group and headed for the rocks.
"Many of the seals were obviously agitated, being put in the role of lunch, but a few, either through ignorance or stupidity, stayed in the water.
"The seals got a reprieve, though, as the whales seemed to lose interest and turned away at the last moment."
The pod eventually headed out into the Pentland Firth, one of the group performing a final encore to the remarkable marine display – it leapt almost right out of the water immediately behind the Explorer at the edge of the Swilkie tidal race before disappearing beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, National Whale and Dolphin Week which began on Saturday (June 21) had a reasonable start in Caithness.
Karen Munro made the first "spot", from the Thurso caravan park viewpoint, when she saw a minke whale, and was followed by a Thurso harbour porpoise sighting by Colin Bird, the Sea Watch Foundation group co-ordinator for north-east Scotland.
The porpoise turned out to be one of several sightings during the two-hour watch and included a group of four, accompanied by a small calf.
The next event was at Swiney Hill, Lybster, in much improved weather, when a Risso's dolphin was spotted, and as the watch concluded there came a report of a basking shark feeding at the Wick harbour entrance. Mr Bird raced to the scene in time to see the shark close to the North Bath.
Weather conditions took a turn for the worse on Sunday and two watches had to be cancelled. However, two further events will be held on Saturday (June 28), at Duncansby Head, at 1pm, and at Whaligoe Steps the following day starting at 5pm.
donderdag 19 juni 2008
Killer whales spotted near Ballycastle
KILLER whales have been spotted near Ballycastle.
The ocean's top predator was spied in the Sea of Moyle between north Antrim and the Mull of Kintyre but despite the name there is no particular threat to humans.
The member of the dolphin family gets its name because of a fearsome ability in tackling other sea species.
Three killer whales, known as orcinus orca, were spotted off the Antrim coast at the end of last month.
David MacAuley saw three of the animals while on a boat between Ballycastle and the Mull of Kintyre.
He was mid-way across when he saw the animals - a pod which apparently heads north in May and south in September.
"They appeared about 100 metres from us the first time but by the time I got my camera out they were about 300 metres away," he said.
With their large dorsal fins the animals are an incredible sight, and while uncommon, sightings in Irish waters are not unknown.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group aims to promote a better understanding of the marine mammals.
Sightings co-ordinator, Pádraig Whooley, said that there has been no increase in the number of sightings of killer whales in Irish waters, but there has been a year-on-year increase in the numbers of whale and dolphin sightings.
"It is more likely that this reflects a large increase in observer effort and greater awareness," he said.
"Sightings of killer whales are typically few and far between each year, which is what you'd expect of an apex predator, anywhere."
He said that so far this year there had been two other confirmed sightings of Orca whales in the waters around Ireland, both within the last two months.
Three were spotted off Mizen Head, Cork, in April and six others were spotted off High Island, Galway, in May.
In 2007 there were 1,281 whale or dolphin sightings off the coasts of Northern Ireland, according to the IWDG website.
In 2006 there were 838 and in 2002, 176.
Male killer whales can range from 6-10 metres long and weigh in excess of six tonnes.
The full article contains 360 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
The ocean's top predator was spied in the Sea of Moyle between north Antrim and the Mull of Kintyre but despite the name there is no particular threat to humans.
The member of the dolphin family gets its name because of a fearsome ability in tackling other sea species.
Three killer whales, known as orcinus orca, were spotted off the Antrim coast at the end of last month.
David MacAuley saw three of the animals while on a boat between Ballycastle and the Mull of Kintyre.
He was mid-way across when he saw the animals - a pod which apparently heads north in May and south in September.
"They appeared about 100 metres from us the first time but by the time I got my camera out they were about 300 metres away," he said.
With their large dorsal fins the animals are an incredible sight, and while uncommon, sightings in Irish waters are not unknown.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group aims to promote a better understanding of the marine mammals.
Sightings co-ordinator, Pádraig Whooley, said that there has been no increase in the number of sightings of killer whales in Irish waters, but there has been a year-on-year increase in the numbers of whale and dolphin sightings.
"It is more likely that this reflects a large increase in observer effort and greater awareness," he said.
"Sightings of killer whales are typically few and far between each year, which is what you'd expect of an apex predator, anywhere."
He said that so far this year there had been two other confirmed sightings of Orca whales in the waters around Ireland, both within the last two months.
Three were spotted off Mizen Head, Cork, in April and six others were spotted off High Island, Galway, in May.
In 2007 there were 1,281 whale or dolphin sightings off the coasts of Northern Ireland, according to the IWDG website.
In 2006 there were 838 and in 2002, 176.
Male killer whales can range from 6-10 metres long and weigh in excess of six tonnes.
The full article contains 360 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Whales, and maybe disaster, headed for Robson Bight
We'll start with the assumption that no one in government actually hates the whales.
Nobody really wants the sunken fuel truck to rust out and send 12,000 litres of diesel glooping up to the surface of Robson Bight.
It doesn't matter what the intent is, though. If political foot-dragging results in fuel fouling the internationally renowned killer whale preserve, the damage will be the same. Then you'll see some warp-speed butt-covering, people displaying the kind of get-'er-done resolve heretofore unassociated with this file.
It has been 10 months since a barge tipped 11 pieces of logging equipment into the water, 30 kilometres down Johnstone Strait from Port McNeill. The way things are going, it could be another 10 months before the gear is hauled to the surface. That has everyone holding their breath, thinking of that corroding fuel truck.
"What happens if it leaks in August when there are 50 or 100 whales around?" asks Jim Borrowman. He's on the phone from Telegraph Cove, where he runs Stubbs Island Charters, the whale- and wildlife-watching company.
He's usually pretty circumspect, knows the workings of government well enough that he doesn't like to unload on its practitioners, but on this occasion he has a hard time keeping the anxiety out of his voice.
"The window is narrowing literally by the day now," he says. It might, in fact, be closed already. It's hard to predict, but the northern resident killer whales could show up in Robson Bight any day now. Once they arrive, it will be too late to raise the truck for fear the fuel spills during the move.
Alas, so far all that has been raised is the question of why this is taking so long. The barge dumped its load Aug. 20, 2007. (Pause here to wonder what it was doing there in the first place.)
The coast guard, armed with a report that estimated the fuel truck had been crushed on the way down, declined to inspect the wreckage. In fact, it wasn't until December that government, goaded by groups like Greenpeace and the Living Oceans Society, which had begun fishing into their own wallets to hire a submersible, took an underwater look. Surprise, surprise, there was the truck, 350 metres down, upright and uncrushed.
It then took until April for Ottawa and the provincial government to jointly announce they would spend up to $1 million to clean up the mess. It was May when salvagers were invited to bid on the job, which included pulling up all 11 pieces of equipment, including a container holding 1,190 litres of hydraulic fluid in pails. The deadline for those proposals was June 4. Three outfits ended up vying for the work. The Environment Ministry hopes a decision will be announced next week -- just as the whales are due to arrive.
Among the many adjectives used to describe government, "nimble" is not near the top of the list.
The province's request for proposals, recognizing the tight timelines, asked salvagers to devise two plans, one in which the work would be done in June, the other in October. But wait, says Borrowman, the orcas still hang around in the fall. "October is not a good month," he says. "There could very well be heavy activity well into December." By then the weather would be too snotty for the salvagers to work. It might not be safe to do the job until spring of 2009. Gulp.
Up in Sointula, Living Oceans executive director Jennifer Lash says there's no use dwelling on what might have been had officialdom's response been faster. "We can gripe all we want, but we have to keep moving." If the salvage work must wait until fall or later, she wants to see a monitoring program and a response plan in place, just in case the fuel is freed. No use crying over spilt milk, so let's prepare for spilled diesel instead.
If there's good news, it's that the A30 family of orcas have been spotted near Gil Island (which, you might recall, is where the Queen of the North sank). Researchers had been worried about the A30s, as the whales had passed through the fuel slick that fouled the surface after the barge tipped.
Happily, all of the animals have been accounted for. They appear to be heading south, which could put them in Robson Bight in matter of days, seeing as how whales move much faster than government.
Nobody really wants the sunken fuel truck to rust out and send 12,000 litres of diesel glooping up to the surface of Robson Bight.
It doesn't matter what the intent is, though. If political foot-dragging results in fuel fouling the internationally renowned killer whale preserve, the damage will be the same. Then you'll see some warp-speed butt-covering, people displaying the kind of get-'er-done resolve heretofore unassociated with this file.
It has been 10 months since a barge tipped 11 pieces of logging equipment into the water, 30 kilometres down Johnstone Strait from Port McNeill. The way things are going, it could be another 10 months before the gear is hauled to the surface. That has everyone holding their breath, thinking of that corroding fuel truck.
"What happens if it leaks in August when there are 50 or 100 whales around?" asks Jim Borrowman. He's on the phone from Telegraph Cove, where he runs Stubbs Island Charters, the whale- and wildlife-watching company.
He's usually pretty circumspect, knows the workings of government well enough that he doesn't like to unload on its practitioners, but on this occasion he has a hard time keeping the anxiety out of his voice.
"The window is narrowing literally by the day now," he says. It might, in fact, be closed already. It's hard to predict, but the northern resident killer whales could show up in Robson Bight any day now. Once they arrive, it will be too late to raise the truck for fear the fuel spills during the move.
Alas, so far all that has been raised is the question of why this is taking so long. The barge dumped its load Aug. 20, 2007. (Pause here to wonder what it was doing there in the first place.)
The coast guard, armed with a report that estimated the fuel truck had been crushed on the way down, declined to inspect the wreckage. In fact, it wasn't until December that government, goaded by groups like Greenpeace and the Living Oceans Society, which had begun fishing into their own wallets to hire a submersible, took an underwater look. Surprise, surprise, there was the truck, 350 metres down, upright and uncrushed.
It then took until April for Ottawa and the provincial government to jointly announce they would spend up to $1 million to clean up the mess. It was May when salvagers were invited to bid on the job, which included pulling up all 11 pieces of equipment, including a container holding 1,190 litres of hydraulic fluid in pails. The deadline for those proposals was June 4. Three outfits ended up vying for the work. The Environment Ministry hopes a decision will be announced next week -- just as the whales are due to arrive.
Among the many adjectives used to describe government, "nimble" is not near the top of the list.
The province's request for proposals, recognizing the tight timelines, asked salvagers to devise two plans, one in which the work would be done in June, the other in October. But wait, says Borrowman, the orcas still hang around in the fall. "October is not a good month," he says. "There could very well be heavy activity well into December." By then the weather would be too snotty for the salvagers to work. It might not be safe to do the job until spring of 2009. Gulp.
Up in Sointula, Living Oceans executive director Jennifer Lash says there's no use dwelling on what might have been had officialdom's response been faster. "We can gripe all we want, but we have to keep moving." If the salvage work must wait until fall or later, she wants to see a monitoring program and a response plan in place, just in case the fuel is freed. No use crying over spilt milk, so let's prepare for spilled diesel instead.
If there's good news, it's that the A30 family of orcas have been spotted near Gil Island (which, you might recall, is where the Queen of the North sank). Researchers had been worried about the A30s, as the whales had passed through the fuel slick that fouled the surface after the barge tipped.
Happily, all of the animals have been accounted for. They appear to be heading south, which could put them in Robson Bight in matter of days, seeing as how whales move much faster than government.
maandag 16 juni 2008
Ocean's top predator swims past
They are the ocean's top predator and roam the seas at will including, it seems, the waters around Northern Ireland.
Three killer whales, orcinus orca, were spotted off the Antrim coast at the end of last month.
David MacAuley spotted three of the animals while on a boat between Ballycastle and the Mull of Kintyre.
He was mid-way across when he saw the animals - a pod which apparently heads north in May and south in September.
"They appeared about 100 metres from us the first time but by the time I got my camera out they were about 300 metres away," he said.
With their large dorsal fins the animals are an incredible sight, and while not common, sightings in Irish waters are not unknown.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group aims to promote a better understanding of these marine mammals classified as cetaceans.
Sightings co-ordinator, Pádraig Whooley, said that there has been no increase in the number of sightings of killer whales in Irish waters, but there has been a year-on-year increase in the numbers of whale and dolphin sightings.
"It is more likely that this reflects a large increase in observer effort and greater awareness," he said.
"Sightings of killer whales are typically few and far between each year, which is what you'd expect of an apex predator, anywhere."
He said that so far this year there had been two other confirmed sightings of Orca whales in the waters around Ireland, both within the last two months.
Three were spotted off Mizen Head, Cork, in April and six others were spotted off High Island, Galway, in May.
In 2007 there were 1,281 whale or dolphin sightings off the coasts of Antrim, Down and Londonderry, according to the IWDG website.
In 2006 there were 838 and in 2002, 176.
Three killer whales, orcinus orca, were spotted off the Antrim coast at the end of last month.
David MacAuley spotted three of the animals while on a boat between Ballycastle and the Mull of Kintyre.
He was mid-way across when he saw the animals - a pod which apparently heads north in May and south in September.
"They appeared about 100 metres from us the first time but by the time I got my camera out they were about 300 metres away," he said.
With their large dorsal fins the animals are an incredible sight, and while not common, sightings in Irish waters are not unknown.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group aims to promote a better understanding of these marine mammals classified as cetaceans.
Sightings co-ordinator, Pádraig Whooley, said that there has been no increase in the number of sightings of killer whales in Irish waters, but there has been a year-on-year increase in the numbers of whale and dolphin sightings.
"It is more likely that this reflects a large increase in observer effort and greater awareness," he said.
"Sightings of killer whales are typically few and far between each year, which is what you'd expect of an apex predator, anywhere."
He said that so far this year there had been two other confirmed sightings of Orca whales in the waters around Ireland, both within the last two months.
Three were spotted off Mizen Head, Cork, in April and six others were spotted off High Island, Galway, in May.
In 2007 there were 1,281 whale or dolphin sightings off the coasts of Antrim, Down and Londonderry, according to the IWDG website.
In 2006 there were 838 and in 2002, 176.
donderdag 12 juni 2008
Killer whales make appearance off Dana Point
A report of a group of orcas, or killer whales, just four miles offshore from Dana Point prompted Dave and Gisele Anderson of Capt. Dave's Dolphin Safari to jump in their tour boat Wednesday afternoon and snap this picture of one of the five orcas they spotted breaching. The husband-and-wife tour operators say that it is rare for the creatures to come close to shore in this region and that it was the first time they've spotted one in more than three years.
"It was incredible. They were so animated and gregarious, going from boat to boat," Gisele Anderson said. Most people don't know that so-called killer whales are members of the dolphin family, despite what their name suggests, she explains. "They are called killer whales because they are whale killers, not because they're whales."
Killer whales hunt our humpbacks off Port Macquarie
WITH our Prime Minister confronting their killers in Japan, humpback whales off the NSW north coast are fleeing a ferocious natural predator closer to home.
In an incredibly rare sighting, six killer whales - called orcas- were seen hunting a pod of humpbacks just 300 metres offshore at Port Macquarie.
With their massive dorsal fin and distinct white saddle patches, these sleek predators could make a great white shark seem harmless.
Travelling at speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour, the orca's hunt like wolves, in packs.
Nipping and ramming their prey they attempt to mount the humpbacks and cover their blowhall in an exhausting pursuit that can take hours.
They want the calves, so with humpbacks heading north to breed, now is the perfect orca feeding time.
And the orca delicacy? Humpback tongue.
"They tear the tongue out - that's the bit they really like,"explains Macquarie Universities whale expert, Rob Harcourt.
"The tongue is rich and full of blood, so once they have that, they'll usually just leave the carcass."
But while these killing machines might seem like a humpback's worst nightmare, amazingly, Mr Harcourt says their presence is a positive sign.
"The fact that killer whales are up to their old habits is a sign the humpback numbers are recovering,"
"This is a sign of a healthy ecosystem."
But, he said a sighting so far north was highly unusual.
For the whale watching cruise operator, John Fowler who snapped the rare event, fascination overshadowed fear.
"The big male came right up to our boat - his dorsal fin was as tall as me," Mr Fowler said said
"I've done 1200 whale sighting trips and have never seen an Orca. It was just spell-binding".
In an incredibly rare sighting, six killer whales - called orcas- were seen hunting a pod of humpbacks just 300 metres offshore at Port Macquarie.
With their massive dorsal fin and distinct white saddle patches, these sleek predators could make a great white shark seem harmless.
Travelling at speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour, the orca's hunt like wolves, in packs.
Nipping and ramming their prey they attempt to mount the humpbacks and cover their blowhall in an exhausting pursuit that can take hours.
They want the calves, so with humpbacks heading north to breed, now is the perfect orca feeding time.
And the orca delicacy? Humpback tongue.
"They tear the tongue out - that's the bit they really like,"explains Macquarie Universities whale expert, Rob Harcourt.
"The tongue is rich and full of blood, so once they have that, they'll usually just leave the carcass."
But while these killing machines might seem like a humpback's worst nightmare, amazingly, Mr Harcourt says their presence is a positive sign.
"The fact that killer whales are up to their old habits is a sign the humpback numbers are recovering,"
"This is a sign of a healthy ecosystem."
But, he said a sighting so far north was highly unusual.
For the whale watching cruise operator, John Fowler who snapped the rare event, fascination overshadowed fear.
"The big male came right up to our boat - his dorsal fin was as tall as me," Mr Fowler said said
"I've done 1200 whale sighting trips and have never seen an Orca. It was just spell-binding".
dinsdag 10 juni 2008
OrcaLab News - June 10th 2008
Robson Bight update: Orcas facing summer peril
In mid May, after months of delay, British Columbia’s Ministry of Environment finally issued a Request for Proposals to salvage the diesel fuel tanker that has been lying at the bottom of Robson Bight since last August’s tragic barge accident. Several proposals were received by the June 4th closing date, and are now being evaluated with assistance from an ‘outside’ consultant. It will be several more weeks before a contract is signed. Sadly, this means there is no chance that the tanker will be removed before the orcas return for their annual “season” in the Johnstone Strait area. It should be considered too risky to remove the tanker while orcas are nearby. And, as no one knows how long it will take for the tanker shell to corrode through and release its deadly cargo, the orcas are now facing a summer of peril.
In the aftermath of the accident, fully 25% of the Northern Resident orca community was exposed to toxic diesel fumes. The health consequences of this exposure are potentially very serious. Though some of the exposed groups have been sighted during the past few months & appear intact, the most heavily exposed group, the A30 family, has not been seen at all. It has been common for the A30s to be sighted in northern B.C. waters by now, so their absence is a worry. However, the deviation from expected behaviour does not mean the A30s are in trouble. We hope the concerns are in our minds and not their bodies, but we are anxiously awaiting the first sighting of this important and favourite orca family.
None of this delay and concern was necessary. The government has powers that enable it to take urgent actions when needed, and can issue contracts by Direct Award. Doing this avoids cumbersome delays built into the competitive bidding process, and facilitates getting jobs done that must be done in the public interest. Given the dire urgency of the situation in Robson Bight, and the clear public interest involved, it was obvious that a Direct Award of the salvage contract was not only appropriate, but necessary. Unfortunately, despite urging from North Island MLA Claire Trevena and non-government groups, BC’s Environment Minister Barry Penner could not be convinced. The upshot is the situation that we, and the orcas, are now facing.
At this point, the clear priority is for steps to be taken to protect the orcas, and the sensitive ecology of Robson Bight, from a potential release of diesel from the tanker before it can be removed. This means oil spill cleanup equipment needs to put in place, with a trained crew nearby and on standby. We are left with the hope that governments are able to put these essential contingency plans in place, in time. Given the slow pace at which governments have acted so far, it is very difficult to be optimistic.
An anxious summer lies ahead.
In mid May, after months of delay, British Columbia’s Ministry of Environment finally issued a Request for Proposals to salvage the diesel fuel tanker that has been lying at the bottom of Robson Bight since last August’s tragic barge accident. Several proposals were received by the June 4th closing date, and are now being evaluated with assistance from an ‘outside’ consultant. It will be several more weeks before a contract is signed. Sadly, this means there is no chance that the tanker will be removed before the orcas return for their annual “season” in the Johnstone Strait area. It should be considered too risky to remove the tanker while orcas are nearby. And, as no one knows how long it will take for the tanker shell to corrode through and release its deadly cargo, the orcas are now facing a summer of peril.
In the aftermath of the accident, fully 25% of the Northern Resident orca community was exposed to toxic diesel fumes. The health consequences of this exposure are potentially very serious. Though some of the exposed groups have been sighted during the past few months & appear intact, the most heavily exposed group, the A30 family, has not been seen at all. It has been common for the A30s to be sighted in northern B.C. waters by now, so their absence is a worry. However, the deviation from expected behaviour does not mean the A30s are in trouble. We hope the concerns are in our minds and not their bodies, but we are anxiously awaiting the first sighting of this important and favourite orca family.
None of this delay and concern was necessary. The government has powers that enable it to take urgent actions when needed, and can issue contracts by Direct Award. Doing this avoids cumbersome delays built into the competitive bidding process, and facilitates getting jobs done that must be done in the public interest. Given the dire urgency of the situation in Robson Bight, and the clear public interest involved, it was obvious that a Direct Award of the salvage contract was not only appropriate, but necessary. Unfortunately, despite urging from North Island MLA Claire Trevena and non-government groups, BC’s Environment Minister Barry Penner could not be convinced. The upshot is the situation that we, and the orcas, are now facing.
At this point, the clear priority is for steps to be taken to protect the orcas, and the sensitive ecology of Robson Bight, from a potential release of diesel from the tanker before it can be removed. This means oil spill cleanup equipment needs to put in place, with a trained crew nearby and on standby. We are left with the hope that governments are able to put these essential contingency plans in place, in time. Given the slow pace at which governments have acted so far, it is very difficult to be optimistic.
An anxious summer lies ahead.
zaterdag 7 juni 2008
A date with killer whales
ABU DHABI — A group of Emirati youngsters aboard their private boat recently sighted killer whales in the Abu Dhabi waters.
Although the UAE is home to over a third of the 80 known species of cetaceans, few killer whales have been spotted in Abu Dhabi waters, much less photographed and filmed.
Khaled Al Hashimi, Khaled Al Rumaithi and Saud Al Rumaithi alerted the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) of the sighting and provided the agency film footage and photographs. "I've never seen anything as magnificent as this before on any of our boat trips over the past years," said Khaled Al Rumaithi.
"There were about seven whales swimming in two groups. One of the whales was almost 10 metres long and had its calf close by. We didn't feel any danger from them and they were a beautiful sight that we will never forget," added Khaled Al Hashimi.
According to Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of Marine Biodiversity Management Sector at EAD, the killer whale, species orcinus orca, although belonging to the group of cetaceans, which includes whales and dolphins, is not strictly a whale. It belongs to the oceanic dolphin family and is the largest species in this family.
"Killer whales are resourceful and opportunistic predators. They feed mostly on fish, but are also known to hunt marine mammals, including sea lions, seals and even large whales - hence the common name killer whale," he said.
He noted that killer whales, despite the name, are usually not considered a threat to humans. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive killer whales attacking their handlers in dolphinaria and marine theme parks.
The distribution of the species is cosmopolitan and it is found in all the world's oceans and seas, from the glacial Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm and tropical seas. They occasionally visit the Gulf waters.
"These animals are highly social and some populations of the species are composed of matrilineal family groups, an arrangement or system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage, and consequently tends to be the most stable of any animal species," said Al Abdessalaam.
"With the images of whale carcasses being washed ashore on beaches around the world, we cannot remain idle and watch these beautiful creatures continue to be impacted by human threats, habitat loss and marine pollution. The spotting of these magnificent creatures in Abu Dhabi waters clearly demonstrates their vulnerability. EAD strongly urges the community once again to help support our efforts in protecting these ecological treasures and to live up to their moral obligation to protect all marine life," said Al Abdessalaam.
Although the UAE is home to over a third of the 80 known species of cetaceans, few killer whales have been spotted in Abu Dhabi waters, much less photographed and filmed.
Khaled Al Hashimi, Khaled Al Rumaithi and Saud Al Rumaithi alerted the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) of the sighting and provided the agency film footage and photographs. "I've never seen anything as magnificent as this before on any of our boat trips over the past years," said Khaled Al Rumaithi.
"There were about seven whales swimming in two groups. One of the whales was almost 10 metres long and had its calf close by. We didn't feel any danger from them and they were a beautiful sight that we will never forget," added Khaled Al Hashimi.
According to Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of Marine Biodiversity Management Sector at EAD, the killer whale, species orcinus orca, although belonging to the group of cetaceans, which includes whales and dolphins, is not strictly a whale. It belongs to the oceanic dolphin family and is the largest species in this family.
"Killer whales are resourceful and opportunistic predators. They feed mostly on fish, but are also known to hunt marine mammals, including sea lions, seals and even large whales - hence the common name killer whale," he said.
He noted that killer whales, despite the name, are usually not considered a threat to humans. There have, however, been isolated reports of captive killer whales attacking their handlers in dolphinaria and marine theme parks.
The distribution of the species is cosmopolitan and it is found in all the world's oceans and seas, from the glacial Arctic and Antarctic regions to warm and tropical seas. They occasionally visit the Gulf waters.
"These animals are highly social and some populations of the species are composed of matrilineal family groups, an arrangement or system in which one belongs to one's mother's lineage, and consequently tends to be the most stable of any animal species," said Al Abdessalaam.
"With the images of whale carcasses being washed ashore on beaches around the world, we cannot remain idle and watch these beautiful creatures continue to be impacted by human threats, habitat loss and marine pollution. The spotting of these magnificent creatures in Abu Dhabi waters clearly demonstrates their vulnerability. EAD strongly urges the community once again to help support our efforts in protecting these ecological treasures and to live up to their moral obligation to protect all marine life," said Al Abdessalaam.
vrijdag 6 juni 2008
University whale watchers spot their first Orca of the year
A GROUP of killer whale researchers, in Shetland as part of a two-month long study into the presence of the mammals in waters around the isles, made their first sighting last weekend.
The incidence of killer whales around Shetland have become increasingly prevalent since the early 1990s and rough estimates suggest that the population in
the north of Scotland, from Caithness to the Northern Isles, is around 200.
The new research is being carried out by the University of Aberdeen zoologist Andrew Foote and Volker Deecke from the University of St Andrews. The four-strong team, completed by Alice Rocco and PhD student Harriet Bolt, arrived a fortnight ago to undertake research into the incidences and behaviour of the mammals.
They had their first sighting of killer whales in Mousa Sound last Saturday evening, meaning the two-month long fact-finding expedition is likely to prove more fruitful than Dr Foote and Ms Bolt’s visit last summer, when they caught their first glimpse of the killer whales on the final day of their visit.
That piece of research concluded that the presence of killer whales could be partly to blame for a sharp drop in the native seal population, discovering a correlation between the increasing number of observations of the killer whales preying on harbour seals and the decline of the seal population. The number of common seals in Shetland fell from around 6,000 in 1997 to less than 4,000 two years ago.
This year, they are seeking to build up photo identification of the mammals’ dorsal fins and saddle patches, which are unique to each killer whale, in order to ascertain how many of the same mammals show up in different regions. The most common sightings appear to be in the Bluemull and Yell Sounds, though this may be simply down to the fact that the inter-island ferries are crossing those channels on a regular basis.
Mr Deecke said they were looking to build up a picture of the mammals’ diet and monitor their calls to see if there was a suggestion of social interaction with pods observed in other areas, while they are also going through museum specimens for DNA to try and identify family groups and mating patterns.
“Genetics will always show a more historic estimate of movement going back over a larger time scale,” he said.
The presence of killer, or orca, whales in areas of the Pacific and the way they affect marine life has been a “big bone of controversy”, Mr Deecke said. According to the journal British Birds, killer whales are estimated to have eaten 50 eider ducks, estimated to be one per cent of Shetland’s total eider population, in one recent incident.
“A killer whale is estimated to consume the equivalent of a harbour seal each day, so the potential impact is quite real,” said Mr Deecke.
In October George Anderson, skipper of the pelagic boat Adenia, will again take the researchers out on trips off Lerwick and Muckle Flugga, where they can observe and catalogue pods of whales feeding, often on mackerel, around the fishing nets.
Meanwhile, the researchers are to stage a rescheduled talk on killer whales at the Garthspool offices of Shetland Amenity Trust next Friday (13th June) at 7pm, with free entry.
The research team is heavily reliant on members of the public alerting them to possible sightings and they are asking anyone who spots killer whales to contact the team immediately on 07500 380524, and Mr Foote said they were keen to hear from anyone with photos or other information.
In particular, they are asking watchers to try to get photos of the animals’ dorsal fins and saddle patches, to look out for the size and composition of the group, for any distinctive markings and incidents of predation.
Mr Foote added: “So far it’s been a real pleasure working up here and we’d like to say thank you to all the people on the islands.”
The incidence of killer whales around Shetland have become increasingly prevalent since the early 1990s and rough estimates suggest that the population in
the north of Scotland, from Caithness to the Northern Isles, is around 200.
The new research is being carried out by the University of Aberdeen zoologist Andrew Foote and Volker Deecke from the University of St Andrews. The four-strong team, completed by Alice Rocco and PhD student Harriet Bolt, arrived a fortnight ago to undertake research into the incidences and behaviour of the mammals.
They had their first sighting of killer whales in Mousa Sound last Saturday evening, meaning the two-month long fact-finding expedition is likely to prove more fruitful than Dr Foote and Ms Bolt’s visit last summer, when they caught their first glimpse of the killer whales on the final day of their visit.
That piece of research concluded that the presence of killer whales could be partly to blame for a sharp drop in the native seal population, discovering a correlation between the increasing number of observations of the killer whales preying on harbour seals and the decline of the seal population. The number of common seals in Shetland fell from around 6,000 in 1997 to less than 4,000 two years ago.
This year, they are seeking to build up photo identification of the mammals’ dorsal fins and saddle patches, which are unique to each killer whale, in order to ascertain how many of the same mammals show up in different regions. The most common sightings appear to be in the Bluemull and Yell Sounds, though this may be simply down to the fact that the inter-island ferries are crossing those channels on a regular basis.
Mr Deecke said they were looking to build up a picture of the mammals’ diet and monitor their calls to see if there was a suggestion of social interaction with pods observed in other areas, while they are also going through museum specimens for DNA to try and identify family groups and mating patterns.
“Genetics will always show a more historic estimate of movement going back over a larger time scale,” he said.
The presence of killer, or orca, whales in areas of the Pacific and the way they affect marine life has been a “big bone of controversy”, Mr Deecke said. According to the journal British Birds, killer whales are estimated to have eaten 50 eider ducks, estimated to be one per cent of Shetland’s total eider population, in one recent incident.
“A killer whale is estimated to consume the equivalent of a harbour seal each day, so the potential impact is quite real,” said Mr Deecke.
In October George Anderson, skipper of the pelagic boat Adenia, will again take the researchers out on trips off Lerwick and Muckle Flugga, where they can observe and catalogue pods of whales feeding, often on mackerel, around the fishing nets.
Meanwhile, the researchers are to stage a rescheduled talk on killer whales at the Garthspool offices of Shetland Amenity Trust next Friday (13th June) at 7pm, with free entry.
The research team is heavily reliant on members of the public alerting them to possible sightings and they are asking anyone who spots killer whales to contact the team immediately on 07500 380524, and Mr Foote said they were keen to hear from anyone with photos or other information.
In particular, they are asking watchers to try to get photos of the animals’ dorsal fins and saddle patches, to look out for the size and composition of the group, for any distinctive markings and incidents of predation.
Mr Foote added: “So far it’s been a real pleasure working up here and we’d like to say thank you to all the people on the islands.”
donderdag 5 juni 2008
Orcas make a rare appearance
WHALE watchers off Port Macquarie were treated to an ocean spectacle when a pod of killer whales surfaced on the weekend.
Owner of Port Macquarie Cruise Adventures John Fowler said the distinctive black and white marine mammals were a rare sight here.
"I've been out here for 14 years and 1100 trips and it's the first time I've ever seen them," he said.
"They follow the hump back whales on their migration north."
The pod of six orcas surfaced while the Discovery whale watching boat and new Gemini jet boat were on a tour on Sunday.
"They just swam over next to the boat and said hello to us," Mr Fowler said.
"I was on the Gemini boat and was standing and the big killer whale was longer than the boat which is 8.5m. His fin was taller than me. It was absolutely huge."
Laurence Orel from National Parks and Wildlife Service said orcas could be found in oceans and seas across the world.
"It's certainly unusual for people to sight them," he said.
"One of their functions, as is the nature of the jungle of the ocean, is they prey on newborn whale calves. They prefer to feed on the tongue and lips."
Mr Orel said while their hunting methods sounded gruesome, it was a positive indication of a healthy ecosystem.
"The hump back whales were almost wiped out in the '70s and their numbers have been slowly increasing ever since," he said.
"It's a good sign that we are starting to see a more natural balance to the system."
The whale watching season started in Port Macquarie about a fortnight ago and will continue until the end of October/ early November.
Owner of Port Macquarie Cruise Adventures John Fowler said the distinctive black and white marine mammals were a rare sight here.
"I've been out here for 14 years and 1100 trips and it's the first time I've ever seen them," he said.
"They follow the hump back whales on their migration north."
The pod of six orcas surfaced while the Discovery whale watching boat and new Gemini jet boat were on a tour on Sunday.
"They just swam over next to the boat and said hello to us," Mr Fowler said.
"I was on the Gemini boat and was standing and the big killer whale was longer than the boat which is 8.5m. His fin was taller than me. It was absolutely huge."
Laurence Orel from National Parks and Wildlife Service said orcas could be found in oceans and seas across the world.
"It's certainly unusual for people to sight them," he said.
"One of their functions, as is the nature of the jungle of the ocean, is they prey on newborn whale calves. They prefer to feed on the tongue and lips."
Mr Orel said while their hunting methods sounded gruesome, it was a positive indication of a healthy ecosystem.
"The hump back whales were almost wiped out in the '70s and their numbers have been slowly increasing ever since," he said.
"It's a good sign that we are starting to see a more natural balance to the system."
The whale watching season started in Port Macquarie about a fortnight ago and will continue until the end of October/ early November.
woensdag 4 juni 2008
Adorable baby orca spotted off San Juan Islands
A group of wild orcas has been spotted off the San Juan Islands with a cute yellowish-black newcomer in its midst: A small baby orca.
The calf is a member of the so-called "K-pod," a group of 20 orcas, also known as killer whales, that spend much of their lives in the open ocean.
The K-Pod, however, is just one part of the larger Southern Resident population, which is made up of three pods and roughly 90 orcas.
Each spring and summer they vacation in the waters off the Washington coast where they're monitored by the Washington-based Center for Whale Research.
Researchers first spotted the baby – estimated to be about two months old – on Tuesday as it was frolicking with other orcas in the K-pod.
Its mother, a 31-year-old known to researchers as K-14, has given birth four times before, but twice the babies have died, said center staffer Erin Heydenreich who was one of the first to spot the pod this week.
"It's fairly significant because we've lost several of them over the last few years," Heydenreich said. "It's very important for them to continue reproducing."
The calf is expected to lose its mottled yellowish skin as it grows older and it'll take about a year before researchers are able to identify its gender.
For now, it's just known as "K-42."
Whales, rare sea creatures off Eden
Killer whales, false killer whales, a pygmy manta ray and a humpback whale have been spotted in the waters off Eden in recent weeks.
Richard Cunningham of Freedom Charters has been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to see these wonders of the deep.
Just last week he was aboard the Connemara with whale specialists when a pod of about seven killer whales came into sight.
"We recognised a couple of females and juveniles and a dominate bull with the biggest dorsal fin of the group," Mr Cunningham said.
The killer whales breached several times and a large male came right up to the boat.
Four days prior to that the group saw a "huge" pod of false killer whales, a large member of the dolphin family.
"We thought they were a pod of dolphins at first," Mr Cunningham said.
As Eden's old timers will attest, the killer whales traditionally showed up in Twofold Bay at this time of year looking for the northbound humpbacks and their young, but so far this year only a couple of sightings out over the shelf have been reported by fishermen.
However Mr Cunningham said a humpback had been sighted close to shore at Haycock on Tuesday, May 27, and had swum under an amateur fishing boat, startling the anglers.
A lime green pygmy manta ray was also sighted at Greencape.
Mr Cunningham said he had twice been spotted by those aboard his boat.
Richard Cunningham of Freedom Charters has been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to see these wonders of the deep.
Just last week he was aboard the Connemara with whale specialists when a pod of about seven killer whales came into sight.
"We recognised a couple of females and juveniles and a dominate bull with the biggest dorsal fin of the group," Mr Cunningham said.
The killer whales breached several times and a large male came right up to the boat.
Four days prior to that the group saw a "huge" pod of false killer whales, a large member of the dolphin family.
"We thought they were a pod of dolphins at first," Mr Cunningham said.
As Eden's old timers will attest, the killer whales traditionally showed up in Twofold Bay at this time of year looking for the northbound humpbacks and their young, but so far this year only a couple of sightings out over the shelf have been reported by fishermen.
However Mr Cunningham said a humpback had been sighted close to shore at Haycock on Tuesday, May 27, and had swum under an amateur fishing boat, startling the anglers.
A lime green pygmy manta ray was also sighted at Greencape.
Mr Cunningham said he had twice been spotted by those aboard his boat.
Mitochondrial Sequence Divergence Among Antarctic Killer Whale Ecotypes Is Consistent With Multiple Species
Recently, three visually distinct forms of killer whales (Orcinus orca) were described from Antarctic waters and designated as types A, B and C.
Based on consistent differences in prey selection and habitat preferences, morphological divergence and apparent lack of interbreeding among these broadly sympatric forms, it was suggested that they may represent separate species.
To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared complete sequences of the mitochondrial control region from 81 Antarctic killer whale samples, including 9 type A, 18 type B, 47 type C and 7 typeundetermined individuals.
Q2 We found four fixed differences between types A and B and C, and a single fixed difference between types B and C.
These results are consistent with reproductive isolation among the different forms, although caution is needed in drawing further conclusions.
Despite dramatic differences in morphology and ecology, the relatively low levels of sequence divergence in Antarctic killer whales indicate that these evolutionary changes occurred relatively rapidly and recently.
Based on consistent differences in prey selection and habitat preferences, morphological divergence and apparent lack of interbreeding among these broadly sympatric forms, it was suggested that they may represent separate species.
To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared complete sequences of the mitochondrial control region from 81 Antarctic killer whale samples, including 9 type A, 18 type B, 47 type C and 7 typeundetermined individuals.
Q2 We found four fixed differences between types A and B and C, and a single fixed difference between types B and C.
These results are consistent with reproductive isolation among the different forms, although caution is needed in drawing further conclusions.
Despite dramatic differences in morphology and ecology, the relatively low levels of sequence divergence in Antarctic killer whales indicate that these evolutionary changes occurred relatively rapidly and recently.
maandag 2 juni 2008
"Saving Luna" recalls the riveting and polarizing tale of the killer whale
Two years after a tragic accident ended the saga of the wayward killer whale known as Luna, documentary makers Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit bring the gregarious little orca to the Seattle International Film Festival in a thought-provoking account likely to stir debate. From the opening montage of watery coves and misty mountainsides that establishes the remote setting of Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, "Saving Luna" sets out to transport audiences beneath the surface of this compelling story, and does so.
As was widely reported, the 2-year-old orca had gone missing and was presumed dead before he mysteriously appeared in the waters of Nootka Sound in July 2001. One of our endangered southern resident orcas, Luna was alone, some 200 miles from his pod's prime territory.
Killer whales are among the most social of mammals and, having no other orcas with which to communicate, Luna made startling contact with people and boats. Some locals were delighted, but others were alarmed. This put the young orca at risk and created a dilemma that posited science, politics and cultures at an impasse.
Marine-mammal experts were at odds with policymakers over whether and how to reunite the orca with its pod, while the indigenous people of Nootka opposed any intervention, maintaining that nature be allowed to take its course.
On assignment for Smithsonian Magazine, Chisholm and Parfit traveled to Gold River, B.C., in the spring of 2004 to cover Luna's attempted capture by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The married couple wound up living in that inlet town for nearly three years, becoming advocates for a whale.
As the film begins, Parfit narrates, "There is a wall, built of fear and respect, which normally stands between humans and wild beings. We humans tell sweet and magical fables about going through that wall and making friends with a mysterious creature on the other side. ... But we don't think it could actually happen."
That theme resounds throughout the film: Was it possible to actually befriend a wild animal such as Luna, and could friendship have saved him?
To some, this idea might verge on anthropomorphism, but for Parfit, it is a legitimate way of understanding how Luna broke down that barrier.
"My sense of it," explains the filmmaker, "is that the social need that he had and that we have, that we call friendship, is extremely complicated in our lives and in theirs. In the details it's going to be different. But that big thing we think of as 'friendship,' which encompasses all of those emotional structures, is a good metaphor for what he needed and a good metaphor for what we sensed when we looked in his eye."
And a look into Luna's eyes is what viewers get. We are virtually introduced to the playful, charismatic orca, sometimes through stunning underwater photography, and sometimes through the moving accounts of people whose encounters and interactions with Luna are captured on tape. We are also afforded a view from the cultural perspective of Nootka's Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Band, for whom orcas are esteemed protectors of the sea and who believed Luna embodied the spirit of their recently deceased chief.
The captivity contingency
These vantage points shed new light on the dramatic events in June of 2004, when the First Nation band intervened in the DFO's effort to relocate Luna with his family and pod. At the time, department officials acknowledged that their attempt might well meet with failure. Now we hear from DFO marine scientist John Ford, "most of us were not convinced that it would be successful."
One contingency was to place the orca in a marine park aquarium. In "Saving Luna," some locals voice suspicions that Luna was likely bound for captivity, and the film presents some evidence to support that notion. We are shown correspondence from one such facility to the DFO expressing "considerable interest" in the orca, stating Luna "will enhance our breeding program."
Parfit notes that their investigation neither points to any conspiracy nor concludes that Luna's captivity was a fait accompli, but it does indicate the contingency was elaborate. "Logistics were already in place to take him to a captive facility soon after his release, if he continued to play with boats," he says. "It was a very advanced and detailed plan, and that's the one place where the department was not frank with the public."
To the tribe, however, it was a foregone conclusion that Luna was headed straight to captivity. In the film, hereditary chief Jerry Jack speaks adamantly. "That was their bottom line. They were going to sell him to an aquarium."
Stewards of Luna
The film presents an eye-opening depiction of the attempted capture, as tribal members paddle out in wooden canoes to rally for Luna's freedom. The sound of their chanting fades beneath Parfit's narrative, evoking a mythical image.
"Luna followed the song, and they turned into the wind. An ancient people trying to make a modern legend of sea and spirit with a little whale."
The tribe ultimately prevailed and was granted a stewardship permit to keep Luna from interacting with boaters. No longer a dolphin-size infant, Luna had damaged some boats by playing too roughly, and a handful of anglers had threatened to kill him.
Here we become aware of a powerful emotional bond between Luna and First Nation steward Jamie James. By examining this fablelike connection, the filmmakers make perhaps their best argument that friendship, or something akin to it, could indeed keep Luna from harm.
Getting personal
This poignant portrayal of an interspecies relationship does invite debate, as the filmmakers reveal their own personal involvement in the tale. Chisholm acknowledges to the audience, "For us, the idea of getting involved in a story that we're trying to cover was a fundamental break from journalistic rules."
Venturing into the political arena, Parfit and Chisholm proposed that Luna be provided consistent and structured human interaction to hopefully eliminate haphazard encounters. Chisholm says the decision to cross over into advocacy took a lot of soul searching.
"We were still reporting the facts; we were reporting the truth," offers Chisholm. "We didn't feel that we were losing our objectivity in that sense, but we did get involved in that we tried to change the outcome of this individual's life. It really felt like morally we had no choice."
Things become even more personal, if not more controversial, when Parfit jumps in and assumes an unauthorized role after the First Nation's permit had expired.
"We felt compelled and driven," explains Chisholm, "based on the evidence that showed again and again that you couldn't keep Luna away from people. Mike's goal in going out there was to have a presence on the water when there was no stewardship and hopefully prevent unwanted interactions."
"It was agonizing," confides Parfit. "Yet we felt so strongly about it because of all the information we had gathered. We felt that when Luna was with us, he was safe."
The end isn't everything
In a story rife with human conflict and finger-pointing, "Saving Luna" navigates deftly through these contentious waters. It does, however, pose a curious footnote to the orca's sad demise in a freak accident with a tugboat: "The department, which had prosecuted a woman for petting Luna's nose, did not conduct a serious investigation into his death."
Yet the film doesn't dwell on the tale's heartbreaking conclusion. Instead, it succeeds by keeping its focus on the live Luna.
"The fact that the story ended is not the point," muses Parfit. "Luna represented something extraordinary, and we didn't want to overshadow that by the circumstances that ended the story."
As was widely reported, the 2-year-old orca had gone missing and was presumed dead before he mysteriously appeared in the waters of Nootka Sound in July 2001. One of our endangered southern resident orcas, Luna was alone, some 200 miles from his pod's prime territory.
Killer whales are among the most social of mammals and, having no other orcas with which to communicate, Luna made startling contact with people and boats. Some locals were delighted, but others were alarmed. This put the young orca at risk and created a dilemma that posited science, politics and cultures at an impasse.
Marine-mammal experts were at odds with policymakers over whether and how to reunite the orca with its pod, while the indigenous people of Nootka opposed any intervention, maintaining that nature be allowed to take its course.
On assignment for Smithsonian Magazine, Chisholm and Parfit traveled to Gold River, B.C., in the spring of 2004 to cover Luna's attempted capture by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The married couple wound up living in that inlet town for nearly three years, becoming advocates for a whale.
As the film begins, Parfit narrates, "There is a wall, built of fear and respect, which normally stands between humans and wild beings. We humans tell sweet and magical fables about going through that wall and making friends with a mysterious creature on the other side. ... But we don't think it could actually happen."
That theme resounds throughout the film: Was it possible to actually befriend a wild animal such as Luna, and could friendship have saved him?
To some, this idea might verge on anthropomorphism, but for Parfit, it is a legitimate way of understanding how Luna broke down that barrier.
"My sense of it," explains the filmmaker, "is that the social need that he had and that we have, that we call friendship, is extremely complicated in our lives and in theirs. In the details it's going to be different. But that big thing we think of as 'friendship,' which encompasses all of those emotional structures, is a good metaphor for what he needed and a good metaphor for what we sensed when we looked in his eye."
And a look into Luna's eyes is what viewers get. We are virtually introduced to the playful, charismatic orca, sometimes through stunning underwater photography, and sometimes through the moving accounts of people whose encounters and interactions with Luna are captured on tape. We are also afforded a view from the cultural perspective of Nootka's Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Band, for whom orcas are esteemed protectors of the sea and who believed Luna embodied the spirit of their recently deceased chief.
The captivity contingency
These vantage points shed new light on the dramatic events in June of 2004, when the First Nation band intervened in the DFO's effort to relocate Luna with his family and pod. At the time, department officials acknowledged that their attempt might well meet with failure. Now we hear from DFO marine scientist John Ford, "most of us were not convinced that it would be successful."
One contingency was to place the orca in a marine park aquarium. In "Saving Luna," some locals voice suspicions that Luna was likely bound for captivity, and the film presents some evidence to support that notion. We are shown correspondence from one such facility to the DFO expressing "considerable interest" in the orca, stating Luna "will enhance our breeding program."
Parfit notes that their investigation neither points to any conspiracy nor concludes that Luna's captivity was a fait accompli, but it does indicate the contingency was elaborate. "Logistics were already in place to take him to a captive facility soon after his release, if he continued to play with boats," he says. "It was a very advanced and detailed plan, and that's the one place where the department was not frank with the public."
To the tribe, however, it was a foregone conclusion that Luna was headed straight to captivity. In the film, hereditary chief Jerry Jack speaks adamantly. "That was their bottom line. They were going to sell him to an aquarium."
Stewards of Luna
The film presents an eye-opening depiction of the attempted capture, as tribal members paddle out in wooden canoes to rally for Luna's freedom. The sound of their chanting fades beneath Parfit's narrative, evoking a mythical image.
"Luna followed the song, and they turned into the wind. An ancient people trying to make a modern legend of sea and spirit with a little whale."
The tribe ultimately prevailed and was granted a stewardship permit to keep Luna from interacting with boaters. No longer a dolphin-size infant, Luna had damaged some boats by playing too roughly, and a handful of anglers had threatened to kill him.
Here we become aware of a powerful emotional bond between Luna and First Nation steward Jamie James. By examining this fablelike connection, the filmmakers make perhaps their best argument that friendship, or something akin to it, could indeed keep Luna from harm.
Getting personal
This poignant portrayal of an interspecies relationship does invite debate, as the filmmakers reveal their own personal involvement in the tale. Chisholm acknowledges to the audience, "For us, the idea of getting involved in a story that we're trying to cover was a fundamental break from journalistic rules."
Venturing into the political arena, Parfit and Chisholm proposed that Luna be provided consistent and structured human interaction to hopefully eliminate haphazard encounters. Chisholm says the decision to cross over into advocacy took a lot of soul searching.
"We were still reporting the facts; we were reporting the truth," offers Chisholm. "We didn't feel that we were losing our objectivity in that sense, but we did get involved in that we tried to change the outcome of this individual's life. It really felt like morally we had no choice."
Things become even more personal, if not more controversial, when Parfit jumps in and assumes an unauthorized role after the First Nation's permit had expired.
"We felt compelled and driven," explains Chisholm, "based on the evidence that showed again and again that you couldn't keep Luna away from people. Mike's goal in going out there was to have a presence on the water when there was no stewardship and hopefully prevent unwanted interactions."
"It was agonizing," confides Parfit. "Yet we felt so strongly about it because of all the information we had gathered. We felt that when Luna was with us, he was safe."
The end isn't everything
In a story rife with human conflict and finger-pointing, "Saving Luna" navigates deftly through these contentious waters. It does, however, pose a curious footnote to the orca's sad demise in a freak accident with a tugboat: "The department, which had prosecuted a woman for petting Luna's nose, did not conduct a serious investigation into his death."
Yet the film doesn't dwell on the tale's heartbreaking conclusion. Instead, it succeeds by keeping its focus on the live Luna.
"The fact that the story ended is not the point," muses Parfit. "Luna represented something extraordinary, and we didn't want to overshadow that by the circumstances that ended the story."
Encounter with Luna, the killer whale, is lesson in stewardship
In September 2005, I accompanied two Mowachaht/Muchalaht fisheries experts up the northwest coast of Vancouver Island aboard the tribe's lightweight Zodiac. As we returned to the deep canyon fjord of Nootka Sound, a call came over the radio from the First Nation's stewardship boat. Luna was playing at the Gold River dock.
Within minutes, we were looking for the mischievous orca. At first there was no sign of him. We idled slowly from one end of the dock to the other. "False alarm," I thought. Then I saw his head bob up beside the rusty hull of a large boat.
Fisheries coordinator Jamie James leaned over the side of the Zodiac and snapped his fingers below the surface of the water. Luna immediately swam over to us like a happy sea puppy. He seemed to recognize Jamie, and he eyed me with curiosity. I was stunned.
For the next hour, a rambunctious Luna swam back and forth between our boats as we led him from potential trouble and out toward the ocean. He gently pushed us from side to side.
He dove with playful agility beneath the hull and pushed us along from the back of the Zodiac. Luna did backflips and splashed the water with his tail and pectoral fins. He surfed in our wake and rubbed up against the side of the boat.
All I could say — over and over — was, "He's amazing!" I feel blessed to have encountered this special creature. He struck me as a sweet, gentle, childlike spirit.
I took many photographs of Luna that day and have since written about the iconic orca for several publications. It is a compelling narrative.
At a time when salmon runs are at historic lows, northern glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and earthquakes and cyclones are wiping out entire communities, Luna's presence among humans serves as a poignant reminder about our responsibility as stewards over this fragile Earth and its endangered creatures.
Within minutes, we were looking for the mischievous orca. At first there was no sign of him. We idled slowly from one end of the dock to the other. "False alarm," I thought. Then I saw his head bob up beside the rusty hull of a large boat.
Fisheries coordinator Jamie James leaned over the side of the Zodiac and snapped his fingers below the surface of the water. Luna immediately swam over to us like a happy sea puppy. He seemed to recognize Jamie, and he eyed me with curiosity. I was stunned.
For the next hour, a rambunctious Luna swam back and forth between our boats as we led him from potential trouble and out toward the ocean. He gently pushed us from side to side.
He dove with playful agility beneath the hull and pushed us along from the back of the Zodiac. Luna did backflips and splashed the water with his tail and pectoral fins. He surfed in our wake and rubbed up against the side of the boat.
All I could say — over and over — was, "He's amazing!" I feel blessed to have encountered this special creature. He struck me as a sweet, gentle, childlike spirit.
I took many photographs of Luna that day and have since written about the iconic orca for several publications. It is a compelling narrative.
At a time when salmon runs are at historic lows, northern glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and earthquakes and cyclones are wiping out entire communities, Luna's presence among humans serves as a poignant reminder about our responsibility as stewards over this fragile Earth and its endangered creatures.
Orca experts hoping all whales return after swimming through diesel last year
VANCOUVER — Experts on B.C.'s killer whales will be carefully counting dorsal fins when whale season starts this month, hoping there was no lethal fallout from a diesel slick last fall in a world-famous ecological reserve off the Pacific coast.
Just a few hundred metres from where the whales heave their bodies up near the shore of Robson Bight, massaging their backs and bellies on the rocks, a barge loaded with equipment, a fuel truck and almost 1,200 litres of hydraulic oil sank in August
"When you have killer whales swimming through diesel fumes... you've got the potential for health effects," said mammal research scientist Peter Ross with the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C.
"That oil exposure can present some very, very serious problems and can be fatal, if at a sufficiently high dose."
There are just 200 northern resident killer whales who spend the warmer months from June to October at the northeastern end of Vancouver Island.
One of the biggest threats to the whales is pollution, followed by boat traffic and a decline is salmon stocks, their main source of food.
"It was almost everybody's worst nightmare when it did take place, because it was so close to these very special rubbing beaches," Ross said of the barge accident. "It's one of the very few places where we know that killer whales come to rub on."
Killer whales have been classified by the federal government as a species at risk, giving the animals special protection.
The federal and provincial governments have put out a request for proposals to lift equipment, including the truck loaded with 10,000 litres of diesel, from the ocean floor where some worry it may be leaching into the marine environment for the past nine months.
While experts, environmentalists and government all agree the equipment needs to be removed, there doesn't seem to be a good time to risk an environmental disaster.
"The chance of getting this equipment up before the whales come back is pretty slim," ventured Jennifer Lash, of the environmental group Living Oceans Society.
But she said the window grows narrower as the salt water eats away at the metal of the equipment.
"When you have weakened metal and you try and lift it you have an increased chance of it breaking and cracking or some sort of leak," Lash said.
Ross has also weighed the pros and cons.
"If these killer whales are frequenting these waters in the summer months...there's the potential for whales to be immediately and directly coated in oil," he said. "Outside of the summer months, of course, we often face in these parts rough weather."
If an accident happened in bad weather Ross said it would be almost impossible to use booms to stop the fuel from hitting the sensitive ecological reserve they've been trying to protect.
In its request for proposals, the B.C. government asks for two recovery plans: One as soon as possible and another for recovery to be carried out in October.
If the equipment isn't removed soon Lash said there needs to be very strong monitoring this summer to ensure the orca aren't swimming through a fuel slick to rub on the rocks.
Lash said this horrible accident should be used as an example for other captains.
"We need to learn from these sorts of mistakes," she said. "To do that it may require charges be laid."
Several agencies, including Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board and the B.C. Environment Ministry are investigating the barge accident.
The company that owned the barge, Ted LeRoy Trucking, has filed for bankruptcy.
The area where the whales make their summer home is an extremely busy corridor.
Shipping traffic, cruise ships, fishing boats and whale watching operations all use the route between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland.
"This is one of the most congested, heavily used areas, a marine highway, that supports our coast," Lash said. "We need to ensure that we have the right regulations in there, the same way we have the right regulations on the highways that go across Canada."
Just a few hundred metres from where the whales heave their bodies up near the shore of Robson Bight, massaging their backs and bellies on the rocks, a barge loaded with equipment, a fuel truck and almost 1,200 litres of hydraulic oil sank in August
"When you have killer whales swimming through diesel fumes... you've got the potential for health effects," said mammal research scientist Peter Ross with the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C.
"That oil exposure can present some very, very serious problems and can be fatal, if at a sufficiently high dose."
There are just 200 northern resident killer whales who spend the warmer months from June to October at the northeastern end of Vancouver Island.
One of the biggest threats to the whales is pollution, followed by boat traffic and a decline is salmon stocks, their main source of food.
"It was almost everybody's worst nightmare when it did take place, because it was so close to these very special rubbing beaches," Ross said of the barge accident. "It's one of the very few places where we know that killer whales come to rub on."
Killer whales have been classified by the federal government as a species at risk, giving the animals special protection.
The federal and provincial governments have put out a request for proposals to lift equipment, including the truck loaded with 10,000 litres of diesel, from the ocean floor where some worry it may be leaching into the marine environment for the past nine months.
While experts, environmentalists and government all agree the equipment needs to be removed, there doesn't seem to be a good time to risk an environmental disaster.
"The chance of getting this equipment up before the whales come back is pretty slim," ventured Jennifer Lash, of the environmental group Living Oceans Society.
But she said the window grows narrower as the salt water eats away at the metal of the equipment.
"When you have weakened metal and you try and lift it you have an increased chance of it breaking and cracking or some sort of leak," Lash said.
Ross has also weighed the pros and cons.
"If these killer whales are frequenting these waters in the summer months...there's the potential for whales to be immediately and directly coated in oil," he said. "Outside of the summer months, of course, we often face in these parts rough weather."
If an accident happened in bad weather Ross said it would be almost impossible to use booms to stop the fuel from hitting the sensitive ecological reserve they've been trying to protect.
In its request for proposals, the B.C. government asks for two recovery plans: One as soon as possible and another for recovery to be carried out in October.
If the equipment isn't removed soon Lash said there needs to be very strong monitoring this summer to ensure the orca aren't swimming through a fuel slick to rub on the rocks.
Lash said this horrible accident should be used as an example for other captains.
"We need to learn from these sorts of mistakes," she said. "To do that it may require charges be laid."
Several agencies, including Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board and the B.C. Environment Ministry are investigating the barge accident.
The company that owned the barge, Ted LeRoy Trucking, has filed for bankruptcy.
The area where the whales make their summer home is an extremely busy corridor.
Shipping traffic, cruise ships, fishing boats and whale watching operations all use the route between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland.
"This is one of the most congested, heavily used areas, a marine highway, that supports our coast," Lash said. "We need to ensure that we have the right regulations in there, the same way we have the right regulations on the highways that go across Canada."
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