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Luna heading for disaster?
By Dr. Paul Spong
July 8, 2003

As a member of the Scientific Panel convened by Canada`s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to provide advice about Luna (L98), the solitary male orca who has been in Nootka Sound for the past two years, I cannot reveal details of our conversation. However, I can say that the decision of the DFO not to intervene and attempt to return Luna to his family and community at this time was not based on the advice of the panel, as has been widely reported by the media.

Simply put, I believe Luna to be headed for disaster if nothing is done to alter the course he is on. I also believe that it is our collective obligation to give Luna an opportunity to rejoin his social group because we know where he belongs.

No one knows how Luna came to be where he is, alone in Nootka Sound, though there are various theories ranging from rejection and abandonment to inadvertently losing his way. I am partial to the thought that perhaps he had gone into Nootka Sound with his uncle (L39) who had then died leaving Luna alone in an unfamiliar space, but we cannot know if this is true. What we do know from several prior instances is that when orcas find themselves in strange confined waters they sometimes get stuck and have difficulty making their way out. The cognitive or perceptual mechanisms involved are unclear, but the phenomenon seems real enough. In January 2002 the orphan Springer (A73) showed up near Seattle and spent months within a tiny area between the city and Bainbridge Island; in 1997 19 members of L pod seemed "trapped" for weeks in Dyes Inlet, virtually in the heart of Seattle; and in 1994 a group of orcas became "trapped" in a confined ocean space known as Barnes Lake in Alaska and had to be driven out. The ends were very different in these cases - some of the Barnes Lake orcas died of starvation, the L pod orcas eventually made their way out of Dyes Inlet, and Springer was returned to her family and community via an extraordinary human effort. Making appropriate judgements regarding intervention in cases such as these is not an easy matter. "Let nature take its course" is a common refrain. However I am sure that everyone involved in the Barnes Lake incident wished they had acted sooner, that a huge sigh of relief accompanied L pod as its members left Dyes Inlet, and that everyone involved in bringing Springer home felt buoyed by the outcome.

Luna`s case is complex and in many ways quite different from Springer`s. Luna is a male and Springer is female, Springer is an orphan and Luna`s mother is alive. But most importantly Springer was in poor health when she was found alone whereas Luna appears healthy, and Springer was far from her home range whereas Luna is at least in theory within it. The upshot is that the urgency evident in Springer`s situation is not so clear in Luna`s case. However, there is a common element which I regard as sufficient grounds for regarding Luna`s situation as dire - his behaviour toward and around boats. At the end of her sojourn near Seattle Springer became increasingly fixated on boats, and it took great effort and discipline on the part of observers and the boating public to help her break the habit. Active intervention by other orcas helped too. Luna`s fixation on boats is obviously a huge problem, one that comes from his existence as a lonely social being. Though there may be some amusement derived from Luna`s habit of pushing boats around, preventing them from leaving the dock at Gold River or diverting them from their course, there are huge risks as well, for both him and for boaters. Luna`s body already shows minor abrasions and scars from encounters with boats and as time passes the risk of major injury increases. This is certainly a concern, but even more so is the risk his behaviour poses to boaters. A large vessel like the Uchuck is impervious to the danger but tiny craft like kayaks are not. Luna pushes kayaks around in much the same way he deals with speedboats, and though his actions seem measured in that he applies much less force to kayaks, I cannot help believing that a tragedy is in the making. The waters of Nootka Sound are cold and kayaks are not easy to climb back into.

At this point, given the DFO`s decision not to intervene, Luna`s fate seems pretty much up to him. If he manages to make it through the summer without being severely injured or injuring someone, or if he somehow manages to make his way out of Nootka Sound, he might have a chance of rejoining his proper society. But I doubt the latter and I fear the former.

In my view a plan must be put together as a matter of urgency which will give Luna the chance he deserves to find his way home. Whether such a plan is of the contingency "what if" variety or something to be implemented with a timetable is perhaps a matter for discussion. I favour active intervention as soon as possible because I sense our obligation to Luna, and the experience we had last year with Springer convinces me it can succeed. and yes, I know the cases are very different and that many problems must be faced.

If the worst happens and Luna inadvertently kills someone he will be labelled a "problem animal" and dealt with accordingly. He will be removed, either to a tank or euthanised. I sincerely doubt whether either end is acceptable to the public at large, or even to the DFO.

Paul Spong, Ph.D.
Director, OrcaLab,
Hanson Island, B.C.

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