B.C. orca calf's extended family spotted near Vancouver Island - Action News
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British Columbia

B.C. orca calf's extended family spotted near Vancouver Island

Marine expert says there are previous cases of lost or orphaned orca calves reuniting with their extended families or being adopted by others, but it takes time and is not guaranteed.

The calf's great-grandmother's pod was seen swimming in ocean waters near Alert Bay

A killer whale.
The orphaned two-year-old female orca calf was last sighted early this month, while her extended family was recently spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. (The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito)

Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.

Marine scientist Jared Towers says in a social media post he was surprised to see members of the calf's great-grandmother's pod swimming in ocean waters near Alert Bay.

Towers, an expert in identifying whales by their distinct individual markings, says he saw the T109 pod swim out of Pearse Pass near Alert Bay on Monday, but the female orphan known as kwiisahi?is or Brave Little Hunter was not with the killer whales.

WATCH | Trapped orphan orca calfescapes B.C. lagoon:

Baby orca swims free after weeks trapped in B.C. lagoon

4 months ago
Duration 2:52
After weeks of rescue attempts, the Ehattesaht First Nation says the orca calf known as Brave Little Hunter has finally freed herself from a remote Vancouver Island tidal lagoon and is now in open water.

Alert Bay is about 100 kilometres north of Zeballosand on the other side of Vancouver Island. The orca calfwas last seen nearZeballos,earlier this month, after she swam free of the lagoon in which she had been trapped for weeks. The calf'spregnant mother became stranded on a rocky beach and died on March 23.

Towers, who could not be reached for comment, says in his post there have been no reported sightings of the calf since May 10.

He says there are previous cases of lost or orphaned killer whale calves reuniting with their extended families or being adopted by other orcas, but it takes time and is not guaranteed.

Following the calf's escape, the Fisheries Department (DFO) has also saidthatit's monitoring and patrolling ocean watersoff northwest Vancouver Island to ensure boat traffic doesn't interfere with herability to reunite with her extended family.

"Fisheries and Oceans Canada continues to work with First Nations, whale watchers and researchers to monitor the location of Bigg's killer whales," said in a statement earlier this month.

"DFO will be patrolling and monitoring the area to ensure there are no boats trying to locate her, which will impact kwiisahi?is's ability to join up with a passing pod. The team is also monitoring the location of the juvenile whale while she seeks out her family, the T109A pod."

With files from CBC News