For most, coming in to work on a day off would be anything but lucky, but for Liz Lagos it ended up with a surprise that made it worth the trip.
Lagos is the manager of the concession on Discovery Pier and on July 10, she had to come in on a day off because the business received an order early.
While she was there, she noticed an orca pod swimming up close to the Campbell River pier.
“I was completely amazed and in disbelief. I rushed to get the two other staff working so that they could see them as well,” Lagos said. “I teared up and everything, it was beautiful.”
She has worked at the pier in Campbell River for six years, and says this is only her second time seeing orcas this close, but this sighting came with a first — an orca calf.
“The baby was something I had never seen before,” Lagos said. “It was probably about the size of a porpoise.”
With the help of the Comox Valley Wildlife Sightings group, the pod was identified as the T049A pod of transient killer whales.
Lagos says there were around 150 people on the pier when the orca pod came by and “I think that everyone was equally amazed!”
Anna Hall, a zoologist from Sea View Marine Sciences was delighted to see the sightings posted on social media and says some social media videos are crucial to learning about the majestic sea mammal.
“It is helpful to know in those moments in space and time where different individual animals were and sometimes depending on the clarity of the shots we might be able to tell perhaps about their behaviour and social dynamics,” said Hall.
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-With files from CHEK’s Tchadas Leo
Laura Brougham
