It was an uncommon sight that grabbed the attention of a resident in the small Vancouver Island community of Zebellos: a orca seemingly stuck and unable to move.
“I was trying to figure out what I was looking at so I stopped,” said Glen McCall.
“I watched it for a bit wondering if it was alive or not, then I could see that it was breathing.”
Word was then sent around the village that a female orca had become stuck in a shallow area of Zabellos Inlet.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada was contacted as well, but with time running out, about a dozen locals jumped in to help.
“There were (lots) of band members and community members, it was a frantic scene,” said Stan Price, also a resident of the community.
Their efforts became even more desperate when they realized a calf was swimming nearby.
“We were pouring water on her and DFO gave us a couple of instructions like keep the blow hole free from water, and put some blankets on her and keep them moist. We were trying to best we could,” Price said.
But without the help of the ocean’s tide, the group was not able to budge the orca.
Female orcas can weigh up to 3,000 kilograms.
“We couldn’t get her onto her belly,” Price said.
Without being able to breathe, the orca drowned.
The Marine Education and Research Society said it’s unknown why the orca became stranded at this stage.
There was a dead seal in its mouth so it was likely hunting during the high tide, but there could have been something wrong with its health.
There are also questions about whether the calf will be able to survive on its own.
Experts said that will depend on its age and whether it has other family members around. Work is now being done to identify the orca.
