Ehattesaht Chief Simon John is photographed outside the band office following a meeting about the orphaned killer whale calf at their band office in Zeballos, B.C., on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John says a highly-orchestrated attempt to rescue a killer whale calf stranded in a Vancouver Island lagoon could happen as early as next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The timer has been set to save a young killer whale calf's life, say First Nations leaders and a federal Fisheries Department marine mammal expert. The orphaned orca calf who was stranded after it's pregnant mother died after being caught on a gravel bed when the tide went out more than 12 days ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., Thursday, April 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The orphaned orca calf who has been stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John is joined by fellow council members and Fisheries Department Pacific region marine mammal co-ordinator Paul Cottrell, right, during a meeting at their band office in Zeballos, B.C., about an orphaned killer whale calf on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
An orphaned orca calf is shown in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Tuesday April 2, 2024. The two year-old orca has been alone in the tidal lagoon near Little Espinosa Inlet since March 23 when its pregnant mother became trapped by the low tide and died on the rocky beach. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Francisca Barros, left, and Ivisa Simunovic, visiting from Vancouver, spot the orphaned orca calf who has been stranded since its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday, April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Flowers for a pregnant orca mother who died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted alongside the lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
An orphaned orca calf was stranded after its pregnant mother died here in an area behind the log in the gravel bed after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Cedar boughs hang from a bridge as a hopeful guide to the open ocean for the orphaned orca calf who was stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The orphaned orca calf who has been stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The orphaned orca calf who was stranded after its pregnant mother died here in an area behind the log in the gravel bed after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Cedar boughs hang beneath a bridge where officials hope the stranded orphaned orca calf will swim towards the open ocean after its mother died after being caught when the tide went out in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
An orphaned killer whale calf stranded in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C. swims in this April 2024 handout drone photo. The young killer whale stranded in the lagoon off Vancouver Island is a girl. A statement from the Fisheries Department on Friday says drone images have determined that the calf given the First Nation name Kiisahi?is, or Brave Little Hunter, is female. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Fisheries and Oceans Canada *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Ehattesaht Chief Simon John is photographed outside the band office following a meeting about the orphaned killer whale calf at their band office in Zeballos, B.C., on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John says a highly-orchestrated attempt to rescue a killer whale calf stranded in a Vancouver Island lagoon could happen as early as next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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The timer has been set to save a young killer whale calf's life, say First Nations leaders and a federal Fisheries Department marine mammal expert. The orphaned orca calf who was stranded after it's pregnant mother died after being caught on a gravel bed when the tide went out more than 12 days ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., Thursday, April 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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The orphaned orca calf who has been stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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Ehattesaht First Nation Chief Simon John is joined by fellow council members and Fisheries Department Pacific region marine mammal co-ordinator Paul Cottrell, right, during a meeting at their band office in Zeballos, B.C., about an orphaned killer whale calf on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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An orphaned orca calf is shown in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Tuesday April 2, 2024. The two year-old orca has been alone in the tidal lagoon near Little Espinosa Inlet since March 23 when its pregnant mother became trapped by the low tide and died on the rocky beach. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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Francisca Barros, left, and Ivisa Simunovic, visiting from Vancouver, spot the orphaned orca calf who has been stranded since its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday, April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
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Flowers for a pregnant orca mother who died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted alongside the lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
An orphaned orca calf was stranded after its pregnant mother died here in an area behind the log in the gravel bed after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
Cedar boughs hang from a bridge as a hopeful guide to the open ocean for the orphaned orca calf who was stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
The orphaned orca calf who has been stranded after its pregnant mother died after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago is spotted in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
The orphaned orca calf who was stranded after its pregnant mother died here in an area behind the log in the gravel bed after being caught when the tide went out more than a week ago near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
Cedar boughs hang beneath a bridge where officials hope the stranded orphaned orca calf will swim towards the open ocean after its mother died after being caught when the tide went out in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C., on Monday April 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CHAD HIPOLITO
An orphaned killer whale calf stranded in a lagoon near Zeballos, B.C. swims in this April 2024 handout drone photo. The young killer whale stranded in the lagoon off Vancouver Island is a girl. A statement from the Fisheries Department on Friday says drone images have determined that the calf given the First Nation name Kiisahi?is, or Brave Little Hunter, is female. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Fisheries and Oceans Canada *MANDATORY CREDIT*
ZEBALLOS, B.C. - The young killer whale stranded in the lagoon off Vancouver Island is a girl.
A statement from the Fisheries Department on Friday says drone images have determined that the calf given the First Nation name Kiisahi?is, or Brave Little Hunter, is female.
It says the calf remains active in the lagoon and crews are monitoring her with minimal disturbance.
The department says planning for a rescue operation to transfer her to an open ocean net pen continues, but the attempt is "unlikely" to begin early next week.
Access to the lagoon will be closed to all but essential personnel when the rescue takes place, it says.
The calf was left alone on March 23 when her mother, who was pregnant, was stranded and died in the lagoon during a low tide.
Rescuers say they will search the ocean off Vancouver Island for the calf's pod, hoping to reunite her with her family once she is transferred to a net pen after the rescue.
The Ehattesaht First Nation located in Zeballos has been leading the rescue operation along with the Fisheries Department and other marine mammal experts.
Chief Simon John said he expects the Jet Ranger helicopter that the band has for forestry work will be used to look for the calf's family pod.
John said equipment for the planned rescue has started to arrive in their remote community, located more than 450 kilometres north of Victoria.
A heavy lift machine the First Nation also uses in forestry work will arrive in Zeballos this weekend and could be used in the rescue effort.
John said a large seine net more than 270 metres long arrived from Campbell River on Thursday and is expected to be used to corral the young killer whale in a shallow area of the lagoon, before it's put in a sling and transported to a pen in ocean waters.
The rescue team is waiting for the arrival of the net pen similar to those used by B.C. salmon farms to house the young orca at a yet-to-be-determined location, John said.
John said that earlier plans to use a helicopter to lift the killer whale calf out of the lagoon have been overtaken by the effort to move it from the lagoon to the net pen by a specially outfitted vehicle, landing craft or boat.
Brett Jensen of Port McNeill, B.C., was in a flat-bottom jet boat near the lagoon shoreline on Friday.
He said it was a "privilege" to be taking part in the rescue operation.
Jensen, who's a resource manager for Campbell River-based Strategic Natural Resources Consultants Inc., said he was on the water in the tidal lagoon surveying the area in preparation for the rescue attempt.
"To be part of it is pretty special," he said.
This report by 国产诱惑福利 was first published April 5, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version cited a Fisheries Department statement as saying a rescue attempt was likely early next week. In fact, it said this was unlikely.