The remote Ehattesaht First Nation, located in northern Vancouver Island, has launched an online fundraiser looking for support in rescuing an orca calf that’s been stranded in a lagoon for nearly a month.
The orca, now named kʷiisaḥiʔis (kwee-sa-hay-is), or Brave Little Hunter, became trapped in the remote lagoon on March 23 after following its mother, who was believed to be hunting a seal.
Its mother, who was discovered to be pregnant, died after it became beached on the lagoon near the small Village of Zeballos – a community of around 100 people – leaving the two-year-old orca calf alone in the remote pocket of water.
Since then, members of the Ehattesaht First Nation, residents of Zeballos, and teams with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Marine Mammal Response group, have been trying to coerce the orca calf out of the lagoon when the tides are right – and more recently trying to capture and lift the orca out of the water.
Story continues below
A killer whale and its calf are shown in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C. in a handout photo. A marine scientist says a necropsy performed on female killer whale that died after being stranded in a lagoon with its two-year-old orca calf off northern Vancouver Island was pregnant. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Jared Towers, Bay Cetology
Those efforts have come at a cost for the isolated First Nation with a population of just 500, and one that was already fragile – in February 2023 declaring a state of emergency after losing six young people to overdoses in just a few months.
On Thursday, the Nation launched its GoFundMe, with a goal of raising $500,000 to help cover the ongoing rescue efforts and costs.
The online fundraiser is calling on the federal and provincial governments to pitch in on the funding, as well as anyone who is interested in the rescue.
The Nation says it has been feeding and housing the DFO team that has arrived to help rescue the orca, but that costs are adding up, particularly because it is expensive to bring resources up to the remote community.
“We don’t know when it will end and we can’t turn our backs on our kʷiisaḥiʔis,” reads part of the GoFundMe.
“Our Nation has called on all of its partners and they have been limitless in their response and we have been overwhelmed by the offers of equipment and ideas from around the world,” the GoFundMe adds. “But mobilization like this takes dozens of professionals, people and time. We have to keep everyone fed and housed and our community is small and isolated with limited options.”
The Nation adds that “everything is expensive here and we can no longer carry all of the burden,” and that while it will continue to house and feed the crews who are on site, it is looking for help maintaining its budget.
On Thursday, Fisheries and Oceans wouldn’t comment on the cost of the operation, or if the Ehattesaht First Nation would be reimbursed for any of the costs it has incurred.
The story of Brave Little Hunter has captured national, and international, attention.
An American whale-catcher says crews should try to build a rapport with the animal to help entice into a net or sling, at which point it can be pulled out of the water.
Meanwhile, a Nanaimo woman has taken her violin on the road and is serenading the orca calf in hopes of luring it out of the lagoon.
With files from CHEK’s Skye Ryan
READ PREVIOUS:
- APRIL 17: B.C. woman tries to coax trapped killer calf out of tidal lagoon with her violin
- APRIL 16: U.S. killer-whale catcher has advice for B.C. rescuers — build rapport with your orca
- APRIL 15: Orphaned B.C. orca may be eating fish, vet says, as rescuers plan new strategy
- APRIL 13: B.C. rescue team regroups after little orca thwarts capture in remote lagoon
- APRIL 12: ‘Very smart’ B.C. orca calf evades rescuers, forcing switch in tactics
- APRIL 11: Tiny B.C. town rallies around killer whale calf rescue effort as time ticks away
- APRIL 10: Plan to lift B.C. orca calf out of remote lagoon still in the works
- APRIL 9: Trapped B.C. orca calf’s skin whitening, no sign of emaciation: Fisheries Department
- APRIL 5: Drone images show trapped B.C. orca calf is healthy female, Fisheries Department says
- APRIL 4: Plans to lift a B.C. orca calf out of remote lagoon aim for two-week timeline
- APRIL 3: Rescuers plan helicopter airlift of orca calf stranded in B.C. lagoon
- APRIL 2: Stranded orca calf remains in B.C. lagoon, breaching at regular intervals
- APRIL 1: Rescuers hope AI will help reunite orphaned whale with its family in B.C.
- MARCH 30: Low tide pauses efforts to save B.C. orca while rescuers plan next steps
- MARCH 29: Fisheries officials monitoring orphaned orca calf in lagoon off Vancouver Island
- MARCH 28: Killer whale rescue team puts boats back in lagoon in effort to entice calf to ocean
- MARCH 27: B.C. orca calf rescue team considers changing tactics to save stranded whale: DFO
- MARCH 26: DFO response team still trying to save orca calf near Zeballos
- MARCH 25: Baby calf still stranded near Zeballos; mother was pregnant when she died
- MARCH 24: Whale researchers and First Nations have hope for orca calf near Zeballos
- MARCH 23: ‘Really sad’: Hundreds tried to help orca that died on beach on Vancouver Island
Adam Chan
