Baby Whale BC: Calf Capture Attempt Failed

ZEBALLOS, BC – Rescuers are having trouble catching an orphaned killer whale stranded in a remote Vancouver Island lagoon.

An operation to capture the two-year-old orca, which began before dawn, was “in the demobilization phase” today after a failed rescue attempt, an official at the scene said.

Chief Simon John of the Ehattesaht First Nation said rescuers were “stuck” and planned to try again in a few days.

The First Nation previously said rescue efforts began at 5 a.m. due to favorable weather.

The rescue plan involved using boats, divers and a net to lower the calf into a shallow part of the three-kilometer lagoon before placing it in a large fabric sling and lifting it into a vehicle.

The two-year-old calf had been alone in Little Espinoza Inlet for three weeks before its pregnant mother died March 23 when she was swept into the water by the current.

The pair entered the lagoon by swimming through a narrow and fast-moving channel that connected it to the ocean.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 12, 2024.