An orca calf stranded in a lagoon near Zeballos has been in freshwater so long, she’s starting to change colour.
However, whale experts with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and veterinary experts say the ‘Brave Little Hunter’ won’t suffer any health effects in the short-term from her dorsal side turning white.
The orca has been stranded since her mother died March 23 while the pair were hunting, and entered the lagoon. The entrance is narrow and only open to the ocean at the highest of tides.
The rescue team is working to get the calf back into the ocean as soon as possible. All attempts to persuade her to leave on her own were unsuccessful.
A net pen has been installed nearby in the ocean. The current plan is to hoist the orca out of the lagoon with a crane truck, and transport her to the ocean in a boat.
Once she is in the ocean, they hope to reunite her with her family pod, which is being monitored nearby.
