The Biggs Killer Whale that died off the B.C. Coast this weekend had a baby on the way, officials have confirmed.
Dr. Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, led a necropsy on the whale and found that she was pregnant with a female fetus when she died.
The reason for the whale's stranding is still not known, as the examination did not provide a clear answer on whether she was hunting or had an underlying health issue.
The Ehattesaht First Nation held ceremonies for the unborn animal.
They also attempted to cool and refloat the whale, but she passed away on Saturday morning.
The mother was with her calf at the time of her death, and the calf has remained in the area since then.
The live calf has been named kʷiisaḥiʔis (kwee-sa-hay-is), which roughly translates to “Brave Little Hunter,” according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
Efforts are now focused on the calf and attempting to reunite it with its pod before it's too late.
On Monday afternoon at high tide, responders on site tried playing recorded pod members’ calls to see if this would encourage the calf to leave the lagoon.
However, the DFO reported that this attempt was not successful.
The Ehattesaht have also halted forestry operations and provided a support helicopter to search for the whale pod.
According to DFO officials, time is running out as the tide window will close in the next few days.
Discussions are ongoing with the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations, as well as the DFO, to plan for the future.
In a statement to the media, the Ehattesaht First Nation chief and council expressed that the live calf will be the primary focus in the coming days.
The nation stated, “But we will have to think about her safety and limit human interaction, so we will be closing the road for most of the day, with local traffic only passing.”
“I know people will want to visit and help, but DFO and ourselves need time to develop a plan and consider the little one,” the statement continued.
