Scientists decide to capture orphan orca

By Elizabeth Murtaugh

Associated Press

SEATTLE – Scientists will try to capture an ailing orphan orca that’s been languishing in Puget Sound for several months and return her to her native pod in Canada, the National Marine Fisheries Service said Friday.

Officials of the service said that while it would be a high-risk operation, it would be best to remove the young female killer whale from the busy waters off Vashon Island as soon as possible. After a few weeks of rehabilitation in a pen, the whale would be relocated to Johnstone Strait off Canada’s Vancouver Island, the summer home of her pod.

“I want to emphasize this is a first. It has never been done before,” Bob Lohn regional administrator for NMFS, told a news conference. “We don’t know what the prospects are, but we think it is worth doing.”

Lohn said a team of scientists was being assembled to determine the best way to capture, treat, transport and prepare the young female whale for return to her pod. Although whales have been captured in the wild and placed in captivity, no one has yet captured a wild whale and reintroduced it into a pod.

No schedule has been set, he said, but officials hope to capture the whale in two or three weeks, spend another two weeks giving it medical tests and treatment, then transport it to the strait in a day if possible. The whale then would be kept in a netted-off section of a bay for about two weeks or until her native pod arrives on its annual migration south, approximately mid- to late July.

Lohn had no cost estimate for the operation, but said it could easily be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He said NMFS may apply for federal grants to help pay the cost.

Lohn repeatedly emphasized the risk of the capture and relocation, but said it was better than leaving the whale, whose health appears to be deteriorating, where it is. The whale lately has been approaching boats and lingers near the busy Vashon Island ferry terminal, about three miles west of Seattle.

“We don’t want this whale to substitute boats for fellow orcas,” he said.

A panel of U.S. and Canadian researchers, activist observers, and staff from the Vancouver, British Columbia, Aquarium recommended earlier this month that the whale be captured and treated.

But the fisheries service held off, citing concerns that moving her might cause stress that could harm her health.

“We’re really proceeding on very unknown ground,” Lohn said.

A-73 – her name, based on her pod and birth order – was first spotted near the Vashon Island ferry dock in mid-January. According to Canadian researchers, her mother, A-45, is dead. The 1 1/2- to 2-year-old calf apparently was left behind by her pod, where her only known relative was a grandmother.

The whale has two apparent health problems. She has a skin ailment that has led to discoloration and sloughed skin over much of her body, now nearing sensitive areas around her blowhole and eyes.

She also has ketosis, a condition that makes breath smell like paint thinner. In humans, ketosis can be a symptom of starvation, diabetes or metabolic problems – all problems ruled out in the orca’s case by observation and blood-test results.

Also known as “Boo,” and “Springer,” A-73 spends her days catching steelhead, loafing near the surface, and sometimes spending hours rubbing against sticks or logs, possibly because she craves the physical contact she would have if she were with her family group.

Some activists insist the whale should be left alone, arguing that intervention could result in a lifetime in captivity.

It’s unclear whether A-73, even if nursed back to health, would be accepted by her pod, which usually spends June through September near Vancouver Island. Scientists say they are unaware of any orcas that have been welcomed back into a pod after a sustained absence.

While solo juvenile orcas are rare, scientists are aware of two in the region this year – A-73 and L-98, a male from L-pod based near Washington’s San Juan Islands who has been living on the west side of Vancouver Island since last fall.

Activists are seeking endangered-species protection for the 78 killer whales in three San Juan Island pods, which are struggling with pollution and dwindling populations of salmon, their primary food.

Killer whales, actually a kind of dolphin, are found in all the world’s oceans.

On the Net:

National Marine Fisheries Service: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.