Baby orca is a descendent of a whale almost sold to SeaWorld in 1976
The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) first saw this new baby whale with a group of orcas on March 20 in the eastern Juan de Fuca Strait. According to PWWA's executive director Erin Gless, the calf's fetal folds and distinctive orange coloration were visible. The fetal folds are creases along the calf's skin that come from being scrunched inside its mother's uterus for about 18 months.
'These factors are normal and indicate the calf is quite young, likely a week or two at most,' Gless said in a statement.
The calf has been given the designation T046B3A and was spotted swimming alongside its 14-year-old mother, T046B3 'Sedna,' who was named after a goddess and the Mother of the Sea in Inuit culture. T046B3A is also Sedna's first known calf.
Sedna is one of Wake's grand-calf and the family's lineage was almost cut short during that 1976 capture. The late Ralph Munro, a former Washington Secretary of State and an assistant to then-Governor Dan Evans, witnessed the orca captures while he was sailing. Munro then helped file a lawsuit against SeaWorld, which ultimately led to the release of the whales from Budd Inlet several weeks later. The event was the last in a series of orca captures in the 1970s, where an estimated 100 killer whales were taken from the Pacific. Wake and these five other cetaceans were the last orcas to be captured in US waters. The PWWA says that at least 30 killer whales would not have been born without Munro's actions. Wake is believed to have had eight calves of her own, 16 grand-calves, and six great grand-calves. Munro died on March 20–the same day that this new whale calf was first spotted.
The family is part of a group of orcas called Biggs killer whales or transient killer whales. Unlike the nearby Southern Resident orcas that primarily eat salmon, Biggs orcas feed on marine mammals including porpoises, sea lions, and seals. Their population has grown steadily, with more than 140 calves welcomed in the last 10 years. Research organization Bay Cetology estimates that there are nearly 400 individual whales in the coastal Bigg's orca population today. Meanwhile, there are only about 73 Southern Resident orcas left, down from 97 whales in 1996.
According to PWWA, local whale watch tours focus on Bigg's killer whales and not the endangered Southern Residents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Get Happy Summer Day Camp welcomes over 2,000 youth
The Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN) said it brought together over 2,000 children across 17 communities in the territory to participate in its signature youth initiative this summer. The Get Happy Summer Day Camp is taking place in six more communities than it did last year: Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Kinngait, Qikiqtarjuaq, Pangnirtung, and Sanirajak, according to Kerby Corcoran, RPAN's programs manager. Youth from five to 12 years old began attending the camps that started between June 20 and 30, depending on the community, and are expected to run six to eight weeks. Arts and crafts, cultural activities unique to each community, and weekly challenges are all a part of the campers' daily fun, Corcoran explained. To help guide those Nunavumiut children during the camp, 114 youth leaders were trained in mid-June. Two youth leaders in Iqaluit, Keira Qamaniq and Ayva-Lin Noah, said the camp has been tons of fun even with the additional participants. 'This year I feel like there's more kids than we've had in my past years,' Qamaniq, who's in her third year as a youth leader, said in a phone interview. Qamaniq and Noah's group is roughly 30 campers, and is only one of a handful in Iqaluit alone. Every week, campers have a different theme of Inuit culture to take part in. Iqaluit campers played Inuit games in the first week of July, and the second week will cover nature exploration, including picking flowers, berries, and everyone wearing green, Qamaniq and Noah explained. Both leaders are well prepared to manage the children, Noah said, praising RPAN's ability to prepare them for the summer job. 'There was first aid and CPR training, they were teaching us games to play with the kids like ice breakers or just games we could play when we had nothing else to do,' Noah said. More youth leaders were trained this year due to the increased number of communities taking part, which has more than tripled since the camp began operating 10 years ago. Training those youth leaders has a major payoff down the road, Corcoran said. 'When the kids see the youth leaders in the communities, they are going to be excited. The youth leaders essentially are becoming role models to the younger generation,' Corcoran said. Qamaniq and Noah said the best part of the camp for them was making friends with the campers and the coworkers, something Corcoran echoed. Making children smile and being a part of a team is probably the best part of running the Get HAPPY Summer Day Camp, according to Corcoran. 'We tell the recreation staff and youth leaders that it is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a long summer, but also provides the youth leaders with a rewarding experience,' Corcoran said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Giant Endangered Manta Ray Roughly Taken from Florida Waters to Be Put Into Captivity with Official Approval
'I mean, he was in pain. That animal was in pain," a witness alleged of the aquatic animal Florida locals are calling out state authorities after a dolphin tours company saw a crew capturing an endangered giant manta ray earlier this month. In a now-viral reel first shared to Facebook by Panama City Beach-based Water Planet USA on July 12, staff aboard the touring company's boat recorded video of five men roughly removing the fish from its natural habitat and placing it in a small pool for transport. 'Unfortunately, on todays tour- we witnessed a heartbreaking scene,' the video's caption read. The clip has since been shared by local outlets, including WPLG and the Orlando Sentinel, with the latter reporting that the giant endangered manta ray will be taken to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, despite it being a protected species. Water Planet USA told its followers that they should be 'outraged' by what had taken place. 'This video shows a giant manta ray—perfectly healthy—harvested just off Panama City Beach under a permit held by Sea World. It's heartbreaking and unacceptable,' the post continued. Although catching manta rays is generally banned in Florida, the state can allow special licenses for purposes that "increase the public's knowledge and awareness of Florida's marine resources." The license to capture the manta ray on July 12 was issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which allowed for one of the animals to be captured for exhibition purposes, per the Sentinel. PEOPLE has reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "As a citizen of this country, you have the right and the moral obligation to address the issue with your local representatives, of our Government issuing permits for the cruel and inhumane capture of ocean mega fauna such as the giant manta ray for public display, especially if our marine resources are exported overseas for gainful purposes,' Denis Richard of Water Planet USA, who was present when the video was filmed, told PEOPLE in a statement. 'These permits are a disgrace and an insult to our country's and the world's scientific community," Richard continued. No one from Water Planet USA appeared on-camera, but someone from their boat could be heard yelling, 'Let him go! You should be ashamed of yourselves!' SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opened in May 2023 and operates as a research, rescue & rehabilitation center. It is the first SeaWorld park outside of the U.S. and the first park without orcas. It is also the largest indoor marine-life theme park. However, Richard says that's still not good enough. 'The risks of that manta ray being traumatized and possibly dying in that process are very high because they are a very sensitive species,' the Water Planet USA founder and CEO told the Orlando Sentinel. He told WPLG his thoughts on witnessing the capture: 'I was horrified, and everybody on board was really upset," Richard told WPLG of witnessing the capture. 'I mean, he was in pain. That animal was in pain.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Giant manta rays are the world's largest ray with a wingspan of up to 26 feet, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, a U.S. federal agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This species of rays has 'highly fragmented populations,' and their main threats are commercial fishing, the agency said. It is considered a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. PEOPLE was not immediately able to reach SeaWorld Abu Dhabi for comment. Read the original article on People
Hamilton Spectator
25-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Aurora College and Indigenous Knowledge Holders release three-year framework
A framework for development of Aurora College's tricameral governance has been released as the institution continues its push to evolve into a polytechnic university. Officials made the announcement on July 7. 'The Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council (IKHC) is proud of the work that got us to this point,' said IKHC chair Deneze Nakehk'o. 'We believe this Flowing Waters Framework will guide us in our work, in our connections to our sacred surroundings, to each other and to learn about ourselves. 'We raise our hands to all the efforts of people that helped shape this pathway. We are honoured to continue our strong traditions but also to endeavour in the careful process of planning and visioning for the College and all the peoples walking their own educational pathways.' Under the three-year framework, the plan is to complete a virtual meet and greet between members of IKHC and staff of Aurora College, then to undergo a KAIROS blanket exercise with students and staff. A blanket exercise is a two to three-hour interactive workshop where participants stand on blankets and assume the role of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. They then read through a script guided by Elders and knowledge keepers to understand the phases of colonization from the people of Turtle Island's perspective. The exercises were developed following the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. KAIROS is an 'ecumenical movement for ecological justice and human rights' spearheaded by the United Church of Canada. After the blanket exercise is completed, the next step is to develop an options paper for Indigenous honourariums. All this is to be done before the end of the year. Come 2026, the goal will shift to developing safe and sacred spaces on each campus. Both safe spaces and special tipis are to be established at each of the four campuses with a review of and Indigenizing curriculum in 2027. This will include establishing Elders in residence programs to ensure traditional knowledge is integrated into lessons, as well as adopting the Elements of Indigenous Style as a style guide to stand beside the historical academic style guides. 'The establishment of the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations and underlines Aurora College's commitment to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and values,' stated Aurora College president Dr. Angela James. 'And to foster an educational environment that respects Indigenous ways of life, knowledge, cultures, and worldviews.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
