The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says there was little progress made over the Easter long-weekend to rescue an orphaned orca calf trapped in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C.
Dr. Anna Hall, a zoologist with Sea View Marine Sciences, spoke with CFAX 1070's Al Ferraby on Monday about the outlook for an ophaned orca calf trapped in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C..
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says there was minimal progress made over the Easter long-weekend to rescue the calf, kʷiisaḥiʔis (kwee-sa-hay-is), which roughly translates to Brave Little Hunter. Low tides continued to stall on-water rescue operations. Underwater sounds have been used as an attractant to move whales, but these have proved be a repellent to the young calf.
The location of the lagoon is remote and hard to access, with the nearest town, Zeballos, on the northwest tip of Vancover Island. This has proven to be a significant hurdle due to lack of access, infrastructure and available resources.
The DFO says trapping and transporting the orca is one of the considerations on the table, but it wouldn't be utilized until other options have been exhausted due to its complexity and potential risks to the calf and the responders.
Listen to the full interview: