(Zeballos) A pod of orcas sighted off Vancouver Island, near where an orphaned killer whale is staying after escaping from a lagoon, has led an expert to remain cautious about a possible ” family reunification”.
A confirmed sighting of a pod of nine orcas was reported Monday near Kyuquot Bay, about 80 km southeast of Zeballos, near the cove where the two-year-old orca calf was spotted.
This is the first official report of orcas near this “orphan” since late March, when a pod of its close relatives was spotted south of Ucluelet.
Marine scientist Jarod Towers says the group of cetaceans has not yet been “related” to the orphaned little killer whale and the distance between them is too great for its calls to be heard by other mammals.
The little killer whale had been stuck since March in a lagoon near Zeballos, located more than 450 km northwest of Victoria, after its pregnant mother died stranded on a rocky beach.
The little orphan escaped several rescue attempts, then swam alone to an open creek last month.