Latest news with #orcas
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Animal Semifinals
If you were to have asked settler British Columbians what their favourite symbol of this area was 100 years ago, few would have said orcas. "They were seen as an animal that was quite terrifying and something to be feared," said Andrew Trites, director of the University of B.C.'s Marine Mammal Research Unit. "Even the name they were given, killer whales, that should be a red flag right there," he said. Because of some dangerous encounters with humans and the fact that whales and humans were often viewed to be in competition for salmon, headlines like "Killer Whale Spreads Fear" and "Criminals Of Ocean" were seen in B.C. newspapers in the 1940s and 1950s. At one point, there was the idea of using machine guns near Seymour Narrows to shoot them. But according to historian Jason Colby, public perception of orcas among settlers changed rather dramatically in the 1960s, as they began to be put in captivity and studied. "Even though that practice is rightly criticized these days, it was really the spark that transformed our relationship with them," he said. "When we brought them into our urban spaces and started experiencing them as individuals … it was a powerful factor in shifting the way people not just thought about orcas, but how they thought about how we treat all wildlife in the region." In that sense, according to Colby, the orca became a proxy for B.C.'s burgeoning environmental movement — including the campaign to stop holding them in captivity — and with that became a symbol of something far greater than its own species. Or put another way, symbols often become powerful not because of what they do, but how the culture around them changes. "The shifting economic value or environmental values, the shifting priorities about how we interact with the local landscape and seascape," said Colby. "I think it's a pretty powerful symbol of how we changed in terms of our values and priorities, and it remains so today." Yet despite the shift among settler attitudes over the past 100 years, many coastal First Nations have deep, longstanding and sacred relationships with orcas. According to Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations' teachings, orcas are the guardians of the sea, and for the Tsleil-Waututh people, the whales are a source of spiritual power and teachings. In 2018, when an orca mother carried her dead calf through the Salish Sea for 17 days, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation called it a "direct communication" from the whales to remind them of their responsibilities to the lands, waters and beings. From 64 symbols to just 16 left While the orca may be a powerful symbol, can B.C.'s official bird, the mighty Steller's jay, produce a big upset? The Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol has reached its third round, and with it, the number of daily matchups this week goes down to two. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals, which begin next week. Voting closes at 10 p.m. PT — may the best symbols advance!
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
How orcas became such a big symbol of British Columbia
They were once seen by many as threatening monsters, but today are beloved. How did the perception of orcas change so much? Justin McElroy reports.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Sailors rescued by coastguard after orcas attack yacht
British sailors have been advised to exercise caution after a sailboat was rammed by orcas off the coast of northern Spain. Two French sailors were rescued by the Spanish coastguard on Monday after their yacht was attacked by killer whales near Deba, close to Bilbao. While rare in the Basque Country, similar incidents are more common further south in the Strait of Gibraltar, known as "orca alley". Experts recommend specific actions if encountering orcas, including turning off boat engines, lowering sails, and avoiding loud noises, especially after Iberian orcas were sighted in Cornish waters. Despite being called killer whales, orcas are dolphins, and experts suggest their behaviour of ramming rudders is likely due to boredom rather than aggression.
The Independent
7 days ago
- General
- The Independent
British sailors warned after killer whales ram boat off coast of northern Spain
British sailors are being warned to be cautious after a sailboat was rammed by orcas off the coast of northern Spain. Two sailors on a French yacht were rescued by the Spanish coastguard on Monday after reporting being attacked by killer whales at around 2pm. The incident happened around two miles from the town of Deba, near Bilbao, local media reports. Though the pair were taken to shore safely, rescuers said incidents in the region were uncommon and that they had not been called to assist in an orca attack in the Basque Country before. Such incidents are more common further south in the 'orca alley' of the Strait of Gibraltar. British experts have now advised sailors to be cautious and familiarise themselves with what to do if they encounter orcas, as the attack in Spain comes just weeks after Iberian orcas were first spotted in Cornish waters. Professor Volker Deecke, professor of wildlife conservation at the University of Cumbria, did not rule out that such incidents seen near Spain could happen in British waters. He told The Telegraph: "UK sailors transiting the hotspots should definitely familiarise themselves with the guidance. The same guidance applies for sailors encountering any killer whales in Cornish waters." Guidance includes turning off boat engines and lowering sails if orcas are spotted. Skippers are also advised to turn off autopilot and echo sounders, and not to make loud noises. Other recommendations include staying in shallow waters, which makes it harder for orcas to ram rudders of boats. Despite being referred to as killer whales, orcas belong to the dolphin family. They can grow up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes. Most experts believe orcas are not displaying aggression during the incidents and are instead attacking out of boredom. 'For some unknown reason, the killer whales have developed a penchant for breaking the rudders of sailboats and once they have achieved this, they leave the boat alone,' Prof Volker Deeke told The Telegraph. 'During interactions, the animals remain cool, calm and collected without any of the behavioural signs of aggression such as splashing, or vocalisations.'
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘A really special idea:' B.C. man's discovery of unconnected rotary phones proves meaningful
Adam finds out why a B.C. man is finding the unexpected appearance of a disconnected rotary phone so meaningful David is walking his dog Frankie along the water, not far from where he and his siblings once rented a boat to say goodbye to their parents at sea. 'We poured out the ashes and a family orcas started jumping,' David recalls. 'And the captain said, 'Wow! You couldn't have scripted that any better.'' And ever since, David's been hoping to see some other serendipitous sign. 'Everybody says, 'Oh! I saw Mom here and here,'' David says. 'But it's been dead silent for me.' But then David happened upon an unusual set-up along his dog-walk route. Along the public path, someone had placed a chair, area rug, and table with a rotary phone on it. There was also a page of information on the table, with an invitation to use the phone to communicate with a loved one you've lost. 'What if I could pick up the phone and just talk? What would I say?' David recalls thinking to himself. 'I'm not ready.' So, David left the phone. But the phone didn't leave him. 'I walked down the path in tears,' David says. 'I was moved. I was touched.' So, the next day, he returned. 'I think it's a really special idea,' David smiles. The sign says it's a Wind Phone, inspired by an unconnected phone booth in Japan offering to connect the living with the dead following a devastating earthquake. 'I'll call my old number,' David says as he begins rotating the dial with his finger. It's the phone number he started dialling as a kid, on a red plastic home phone, that's now displayed in his place after having to sell his parent's house. A phone number he never stopped calling as a grown-up. 'I called Mom every Sunday,' David says. 'And whenever there was a hockey game, I'd call my Dad.' But today, on the Wind Phone, he can't complete the call. 'Am I ready?' David asks himself. 'No.' Because although the notebook beside the phone is filled with messages from other folks feeling grateful for the opportunity say what they wish they had, David is wanting to hear what he no longer can. 'Reassuring that it's all ok,' David says. But how can we hear a meaningful message, the Wind Phone seems to say, unless we listen. How can we see a sign, if we don't look? 'All these years I've been waiting for a sign,' David says. 'Maybe I gotta pick up the phone and call.' And when he's ready for that, David now knows he doesn't have to happen upon a Wind Phone to do it. At any time, he can pick up that old red-plastic home phone and hear that everything will be OK.
