Baby orca 'not ready' to leave remote B.C. lagoon despite 'perfect unison' to herd with oikomi pipes

The team working to save a baby orca trapped in a lagoon on northern Vancouver Islandnearly succeeded in getting the whale out on Thursday.

Around 10 boats from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), First Nationsand community members were out on the water the afternoon of March 28, attempting to coax the young whale out into the open oceanwith thehopeitreunites with its pod.

The whale has been named kiisaiis (kwee-sa-hay-is) by the Ehattesaht First Nation, which translated is "Brave Little Hunter." It has been trapped in the remote lagoon since last weekend after itsmother became beached on a sandbar while trying to exit the lagoon and later died, despite rescue efforts.

To get out of the lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., the whale must pass over that same sandbar.

"The on-water operation involved using oikomi pipes from a line of vessels as a sound wall to move the animal through the narrow exit point," reads a statement from DFOmedia representative Leri Davies.

Pipes used to herd marine mammals

Oikomi pipes sometimes called banging pipes are used to herd marine mammals. They are made out of reverberant metal, and while partially submerged in water they can be struck with a hammer, creating a loud noise underwater.

"The team worked in perfect unison to move the whale calf, kiisaiis, to the shallow area near the outflow. Unfortunately, the juvenile whale would not make the final trek over the sandbar."

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That said, DFO's statement said it showed the potential effectiveness of the technique and the ability of the highly diverse team to "work in tandem for a seamless execution."

In a separate statement, Ehattesahtchief and council said everyone had a role that daywhether it be out on the water, singing songs or preparing food.

The nationnoted that one difficulty isthe whale doesn't know the group is trying to help her.

'Pretty let down'

"Really the plan did work but in the end little kiisaiis was not ready," it reads.

"We did get her closer [to the exit], but right close that flight-or-fight instinct took over and she swam back underneath us and went all the way to the back end of the lagoon. Everyone was pretty let down," it continues.

The young orca is a Bigg killer whale also known as a transient and isthreatenedunder the Species at Risk Act.

"This ...is a very small population. So every animal that we can save will help, hopefully, recover the population. And every animal that's lost is again affecting the population going forward," said Paul Cottrell, DFO marine mammal co-ordinator.

Time for rest

The week-long efforts to entice the two-year-old orca calf out of the lagoon have also included the use of recorded killer whale calls, specialized directional guide lines and the sound of Indigenous drums.

The tides this weekend won't be high enough for the whale to safely swim across the sandbar blocking it in, so everyone involved including the baby orca are taking a few days to rest.

"The tides are bad for a few days and yesterday was stressful for her, you can tell," reads the EhattesahtNation's statement.

The whale has not been seen hunting or eating, and DFO has said a necropsy of her mother indicates kiisaiis was still breastfeeding.

However, the DFO says orcas also start eating solid foods when they are a few months old.

Bird in mouth

OnThursday, rescue team members observed the whale with a bird in her mouth.

"Birds are usually more like toys than food for young Bigg's killer whales but nevertheless, this is a good sign," said Jared Towers, a DFO researcher and executive director of Bay Cetology, in a statement on social media.

The whale is big for its age, has a strong, loud voice and is demonstrating resilience, Towers added. He also said that after the loss of her mother,it feels as though those working to support her are"beginning to mourn and heal with this youngster."

"Every day chief and council, elders, respondersand community members have met to provide input on this situation ...and we've talked a lot about loss and what healing looks like," he said.

After a few days of rest,the team will reconvene and discuss next steps, which could eventually include the more risky capture-and-release scenario.

Writing stories

Many of those involved with the rescue have commented on the emotional toll. In its statement, theEhattesaht First Nation said that discussions about the whale feel heavy, and it's causing members to reflect on their relationships with whales. Yet, they said they consider this experience withkiisaiisa gift.

"When things like this happen they start to come to life and become stories and now we are actually living it and even writing the Ehattesaht stories. There is a certain amount of dignity in this process and we have to think about that," the statement reads.

In light of that, the nation held a feast on Thursday evening, during which they formally namedkiisaiis. The nation's children attended the event, which they said is important to helpkids not only remember the namebutcarry the whale'sstory forward.

"We also took time to stand up and blanket everyone who has come here to help our family member kiisaiis and thank them for coming with such open hearts."

The nation says the feastalso allowed them to set aside some grief for the whale's now departed mother.