(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/Robert Pittman)
A baby orca wasn't ready to lose its mom. In heartbreaking footage, the young whale was seen circling a lagoon in Canada where its mother died.
Baby Orca Refuses To Leave Dead Mom, Could Die of Starvation
A two-year-old orca has been seen swimming in the shallow waters off the west coast of Vancouver near its mom, Spong's dead body. Spong was trapped in the shallow waters and passed away.
It's now a race against time for scientists and wildlife officials to get the young out of the lagoon and back into the ocean before it starves to death. It is unclear if the young whale will ever leave its mother's final resting place since these creatures typically reside with their mothers for the entirety of their lives.
Officials from the marine animal rescue program, along with First Nations tribe chiefs, scientists, and volunteers, have stated that every effort is being made to save the infant.
The calf has been dubbed kʷiisaḥiʔis (pronounced kwee-sahay-is), which means "Brave Little Hunter" by the local First Nations tribe. Collaborative efforts are being made to locate the calf's pod and entice it to emerge into the lagoon.
Ever since a road maintenance worker called to report seeing a beached whaled on Saturday morning, the community has been working nonstop to save it. They used oikomi pipes - metal pipes that resonate in the water and are traditionally used to herd whales around oil spills - to lure the young whale back into the ocean. The rescuers have made every attempt to pull kʷiisaḥiʔis back to the sea, but she has retreated even more into the lagoon.
The water only rises high enough for 30 minutes daily to aid her escape, making the rescue efforts more challenging. Simon John, the leader of Ehattesaht First Nation, explained that they didn't want to feed the young whale because it might rely on humans for food and that starting such habit would be hard to break. So, they are focused on getting kʷiisaḥiʔis back into the ocean and reunited with her pod.
Glen McCall of Totem Excavating, who received the call about the beached whale, said they tried to save the orca mom. However, the "tide was against us from the start" and there was not enough manpower. They tried to roll Spong onto her belly and douse her with water, but two hours after she was seen, she passed away.
During the post-mortem, experts discovered that Spong was pregnant.
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Killer Whale's Culture With Their Moms
Whales are social being. Killer whale mothers have a crucial role in this social order.
After mating with a female of a different matriline, male killer whales return to their own groups, leaving all parental care to the mother. They are usually devoted sons and brothers but not the most caring fathers. Because of this, determining a calf's father with precision is challenging; the only reliable method is to obtain a DNA sample for paternity testing. Despite their lack of concern for their own children, guys make excellent playmates, babysitters, and companions for younger members of their natal matrilines.
"Whales are connected for a lifetime with their family," said Janie Wray, CEO and lead researcher for BC Whales.
Speaking about kʷiisaḥiʔis, Wray said she couldn't stop thinking about the suffering that the calf was going through. Apparently, kʷiisaḥiʔis couldn't comprehend why its mother is no longer there for it.
"If that happened to one of us, you can just imagine what we would be going through," she added.
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