So glad to see a happy ending for this young whale

From: The Times Colonist

ZEBALLOS — An orphan killer whale calf escaped from a remote Vancouver Island tidal lagoon Friday where it had been trapped for more than a month, immediately swimming toward the open ocean and making calls for its extended family members, say overjoyed rescue officials. The young orca's bid for freedom occurred at a high tide early Friday and involved swimming through a swift-moving, narrow channel and underneath a bridge, with Espinosa Inlet in the near distance, and Esperanza Inlet beyond. "It's been a joyful day, a really joyful day," said Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John at a news conference. "I'm very ecstatic how things happened today. There was a lot of anticipation for this moment for the past five weeks." The orca has been the focus of intense rescue efforts since March 23, when her pregnant mother became stranded on a rocky beach and died near the bridge in Little Espinosa Inlet next to the community of Zeballos, more than 450 kilometres northwest of Victoria. The calf chose a "clear and glass-calm, star-filled night" at about 2:30 a.m. to swim under the bridge and down the inlet, said a joint statement from the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations. The young orca's behaviour changed almost at the moment she passed under the bridge and headed for the open ocean, said Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal co-ordinator with the Fisheries Department. "We were just amazed at how quickly, and how the behaviour of this animal changed when it went from the shallow inlets, where it was restricted, to these wide-open inlets that are very deep," he said. "Her behaviour, her acoustics changed. She actually sped away from the boat and moved into Esperanza Inlet and really took off from the group." Cottrell, who has been in Zeballos since last month working with area First Nations on a rescue plan, said he's confident the young orca will survive and find family. "It was just a great feeling knowing we've given her a great chance," he said. "Now it's up to her and we're very confident that she will meet up with her pod." Cottrell, who has worked on numerous whale rescues off B.C.'s coast, described Friday's events as "one of the best experiences" of his life. The orca calf, estimated to be about two years old, was seen breaching and playing near the bridge end of the lagoon for much of Thursday evening, but only a few people were there to witness her escape as she swam under the bridge, John said in an interview.