Stranded Orca Cries As Rescuers Try To Save Her

[Surya Gayatri]

Helplessly caught in a pile of rocks, a little orca started to cry for help.

Just off the coast of Canada, a man spotted the desperate orca on Wednesday and knew he had to do something. He called for help and soon a group of Guardians from Hartley Bay, British Columbia, joined people from For Whales to voyage out and help the orca, who had been trapped for hours, according to a Facebook post.

After putting together a water pump to help keep the whale alive, the people grabbed sheets and gently approached the ailing orca.

"On some level this transient orca understood that we were trying to help," the post said, and during the process of keeping the whale alive until the tide came up, "she cried often, which tore at our hearts."

Finally, after over six hours of being stuck on the rocks, the lucky orca was finally free.

"Today was one of very high emotions," the post said. "A giant thank you once again to this amazing community that comes together so quickly to protect what is sacred."

https://www.thedodo.com/crying-orca-trapped-rescued-1262635200.html

______________________

Bless these volunteers for what they do. The beautiful young girl whale was saved. Let's hope she has found her way back to the safety of her pod.


FYI - here's a link to the Guardian Watchmen site:
http://coastalguardianwatchmen.ca/guardian-watchmen-programs

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Glad they got to her in time

Poor thing

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Thank heavens a fisherman saw her and radioed in for help.

The volunteers had to stay with her for eight hours until the tide rose and allowed her to escape.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Surya Gayatri.

[Surya Gayatri]

5. Welcome, Uncle Joe...

[Uncle Joe]

7. ..

[Scarsdale]

3. Thanks

What a wonderful thing those people did. Beautiful orca, hope she finds her way back to her pod.

[Surya Gayatri]

6. In the second video, they said they could see a pod far off in the distance. Hope it was hers.

[awoke_in_2003]

22. I'd bet money it was

They are pretty loyal

[dhill926]

8. Wow…

just wow…

[asjr]

9. This is the good deed that makes me think humanity is

not yet a closed book.

[Surya Gayatri]

11. We're not such a hopeless species after all.

[loudsue]

27. I'm with you. With the dark forces in control of the mass message/programming,

it's nice to know that the good guys are everywhere, dispelling the negative myths.

[Enthusiast]

39. There are non-assholes still left.

[LiberalElite]

10. Once in a while humans

do the right thing instead of making things worse. When we do, it's always surprising given our proclivity for willfully fkg things up.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. One young whale lives, thanks to those volunteers. Yay, homo-sapiens!

[LiberalElite]

13. Yes -

[Divernan]

14. Orcas are actually largest member of the dolphin family

Although they are referred to as killer whales, they are actually dolphins.
“Killer Whales”, or Orcas, are actually dolphins. In fact, they are the largest member of the dolphin family, Delphinidae.

Strictly speaking, whales are marine animals of the order of Cetacea and occasionally Cetacea is used to refer to not just whales, but also porpoises and dolphins. However, it generally excludes these latter mariner animals, which belong to the sub-order Odontoceti. So depending on who you talk to dolphins, including the Orca, may be considered whales and dolphins or may be considered a separate marine animal from other whales. But in either case, Orcas are one of the 35 species in the oceanic dolphin family, with its closest relative being the Irrawaddy dolphin.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/04/killer-whales-are-actually-dolphins/

Loved this story - great video of volunteers keeping the orca calm and protected from sunburn for 8 hours until the tide rose again.

[Divernan]

15. From the CBC news report: "quickly reunited with her pod"

Around 4 p.m. PT, the tide began to rise and the orca was able to start freeing herself.

"It took her about 45 minutes to negotiate how best to get off the rocks," said Meuter. "We all just kept our distance at that point."

When she swam away, the orca was quickly reunited with her pod, which was nearby.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/stranded-orca-saved-by-volunteers-who-kept-it-cool-for-hours-until-high-tide-1.3164728

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Ouf! She's back with her mom and aunts and cousins.

[Octafish]

17. Orcas understand and care.

Remember the little boy who was mistakenly attacked by a Killer Whale in Alaska?

Boy's orca encounter short, scary

Whale researchers say it was highly unusual for a killer whale to bump a 12-year-old boy splashing in shallow water near Ketchikan. Ellis Miller found himself...

By The Associated Press

KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Whale researchers say it was highly unusual for a killer whale to bump a 12-year-old boy splashing in shallow water near Ketchikan.

Ellis Miller found himself face-to-face with an orca charging at him in 4 feet of water Saturday in Helm Bay. The animal, estimated to be more than 25 feet long, bumped but did not bite him.

"I looked underwater and there was this huge head right in front of me," Ellis told the Ketchikan Daily News.

SNIP...

The whale bumped Ellis on the left side of his chest and shoulder, then arched around him.

"Ellis was in the middle, and he was totally surrounded," Kathy Arntzen said.

She reached forward and grabbed Ellis as the pressure wave caused by the whale's rapid advance swept them toward the beach.

"Within a second we were on the shore," Kathy said. "We got out fast."

The episode lasted about five seconds, they said.

As the orca returned to deeper water, six more killer whales surfaced near the beach.

They swam along the beach for 100 yards or so and then returned. They swam back and forth several times. On the last pass, the largest orca rolled onto its side, raised a pectoral fin and smacked the water about five times. Then it hit the water with its tail. The other whales followed in a line and began doing the same.

"It was like the whole bay was boiling at this point," Kathy Arntzen said. "They were up and down and making noise. ... It was like they were signaling us."

CONTINUED...

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002445380_orca19m.html

Amazing thing, intelligence. Almost as wonderful as kindness.

[Surya Gayatri]

19. What a cool story...obviously they were trying to communicate -

perhaps saying:

"Don't be afraid hoomans, it was just an accidental encounter. Not to worry. Water is OUR element, but you're always welcome."

[ladjf]

18. Occasionally, the human race makes a correct move. nt

[flamingdem]

20. Happy whale tale

Made my day, thanks

[Surya Gayatri]

21. My pleasure. It does warm the heart, doesn't it?

[awoke_in_2003]

23. K & R for the second good story of Sunday

Sunday is my first day off, and my first visit to DU every Sunday is SalmonChantedEvening's lol cat thread. It never fails to make me feel a little better. Then, I stumble onto this one. Thanks.

[Duppers]

24. Wow. Such wonderful, rare things

Put a lump in this animal/nature lover's throat ...and help renew good feelings for some of my fellow humans.

Thank you for posting.

[Tree-Hugger]

25. This made my day

Seeing this today and the Great White shark rescue last week gives me joy.

[lunatica]

26. I just had my good cry

Thanks for posting this.

[CTyankee]

29. me, too, and it restored my faith in humanity...

we're all connected...

[KT2000]

28. the Canadians saved a whale

the kept beaching himself on the bay where I live. He was grieving from the loss of his mother and kept beaching himself. The Canadian group sat with him all night - low tide - and kept him watered. After several tries to get him to go out into the Strait he finally swam away.

Love them

[Liberal_in_LA]

30. saw this on the national news. so happy for the whale

[okasha]

31. They're at least as intelligent as we are.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

37. Canadians?

[okasha]

38. Cetaceans.

[Skittles]

32. humans at their finest

[spiderpig]

33. What can I say except

(those are happy s though)

[Sunlei]

34. wow,that is wonderful to see, Thanks Volunteers! wonder if she made a young whale wave ride mistake?

[hifiguy]

35. Good hoomins!!

[McCamy Taylor]

36. K&R

[Omaha Steve]

40. .