Baby orca was trapped in lagoon for weeks — until it shot ‘off like a rocket’ in escape
An orphaned orca named “Brave Little Hunter” spent over a month trapped in a lagoon along the coast of Canada. Now, following a string of rescue attempts, the animal has escaped.
The ordeal began when the young killer whale and its mother swam into a tidal lagoon on Vancouver Island in late March.
On March 24, the mother died, leaving her calf all alone in the body of water — which can only be exited via a narrow and shallow canal, according to a news release from Bay Cetology, an organization of marine biologists.
What followed was a multi-pronged effort to save the stranded orca, which gained the attention of people around the country, including government officials.
“I think we’re all following this story attentively,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on April 19, according to CTV News. “It is heartbreaking, and we’re all worried.”
Strandings of orcas and other cetaceans have been reported across the globe, according to the International Whaling Commission. They’re caused by natural factors — such as disease and age — as well as human activity, such as environmental degradation and vessel collisions.
‘Long and complex’ rescue
The weekslong rescue attempts — undertaken by indigenous tribes, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue and other groups — were “long and complex,” according to a news release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Rescuers initially tried catching the animal and transporting her via sling, and also tried corralling her with around a dozen boats. They even played killer whale sounds to encourage her to exit the lagoon on her own. All of these measures proved unsuccessful, according to CBC News.
At one point, members of the nearby Nuchatlaht First Nation threw about 40 pounds of seal meat into the lagoon to ensure she stayed fed, according to the outlet.
Finally, on April 25, after being fed, the calf was coaxed towards the exit of the lagoon. However, she refused to make the final portion of the trek, which required passing under a bridge, according to Bay Cetology.
“She was clearly excited — breaching, tail slapping, and testing the current on her side of the bridge,” the organization said in its release. “She appeared to know where she needed to go but just seemed to want more water to make the move.”
After returning to the area several hours later, members of the organization were informed that the calf had swam out of the lagoon — all on her own.
They eventually tracked her down in the open sea, providing confirmation to officials: “She was out!”
Upon returning to the area on April 26, members of the group once again spotted the calf swimming.
“We watched amazed as she went out of her way to seemingly say goodbye to her guides Rob John and Judea Smith before taking off like a rocket on her own,” the organization said.
Researchers will continue to track her progress over the coming weeks in the hopes that she will reunite with her family.
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