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Luna, an orca whale separated from his pod for the past four years, likely died this morning. Luna (L98) has made his temporary home in Nootka Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

At about 9:00 am on March 10, 2006, Luna was near a propeller of a tugboat and got a little too close which reportedly led to his immediate death. The tug boat was idling in poor weather in Mooyah Bay, one of Luna’s favourite places in the winter. There was a winter storm in the area with high winds and lots of snow. The tugboat was close to the shore when Luna came up to it.

Sometimes, Luna would continue to forage with boats in his area, sometimes Luna would follow them for a bit. Luna seemed to be attracted to the movement of the water around propellers, occasionally coming within a few centimeters of them. Today, Luna got a little too close, and this ultimately led to his death.

Editors note: ReuniteLuna has talked to many people today about Luna’s reported death and will update this story in a little while. For now, we need some time to ourselves. We appreciate your understanding and your wishes.