Luna (orca)
Luna (born September 19, 1999 - March 10, 2006 ), also known as L98 or Tsux'iit, was a well-known male orca . Luna was separated from his mother at an early age and lived for five years in Nootka Sound , a fjord on Vancouver Island .
Although Luna was healthy and attracted international attention, there were concerns that his behavior could endanger watercraft and people. After a few years of discussion, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) allowed an attempt to bring Luna together with his school in June 2004. By contrast, were opposed Mowachaht-Muchalaht -Indianer who saw the reincarnation of their former chief in Luna. Luna was left alone in Nootka Sound and was killed by a ship's propeller.
origin
Luna was born in 1999 in the orca territory of the San Juan Islands as part of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population in Puget Sound . The Southern Resident Orcas have been the subject of scientific research since the 1970s and consists of a clan with the three schools J-pod, K-pod and L-pod. The members of the Southern Residents population have been identified by their drawings on photos, and their family relationships and migrations have been tracked for decades. The Southern Resident population in 1999 consisted of approximately 83 animals. Luna's matrilineal family L2 is part of the L-Pod, consisting of matriarch Grace (L2), Luna's uncle Orcan (L39), Gaia (L78), Wavewalker (L88) and Luna's mother Splash (L67).
On the morning of September 19, 1999, a newborn whale calf was spotted alone with its mother Splash near the San Juan Islands . According to scientific naming conventions for orcas, the calf was given the name L98 . Later that same day, L98 was seen leaving his mother and joining orcas from the K-pod. The calf did not return to its mother until a few days later. On September 26, the whale calf was seen drinking splash from its mother.
In 2000, when the gender of the whale calf L98 was still unknown, a Seattle newspaper held a naming contest in which "Luna", the Latin name for moon, won.
Southern resident orcas spend the summer on southeast Vancouver Island , on Haro Straits , Juan de Fuca Straits, and the Strait of Georgia . They leave the area in autumn and return in spring. It is not known where they spend the winter. However, they have been spotted on the Pacific coast from British Columbia in the north to California in the south. Southern resident orcas are considered endangered and are under protection by both Canada and the United States . In the winter of 2000–2001, five members of the L-pod disappeared. That is more than the usual death rate of one or two animals per year.
Nootka sound
In July 2001, Luna, who was about 3.7 m long at the time, reappeared alone in Nootka Sound. In the fall he seemed healthy and ate small fish.
When Luna appeared at Gold River , a few days after the death of Chief Ambrose Maguinna, the Mowachaht Muchalaht Indians there considered his reincarnation. He had prophesied on his deathbed that he would return to the tribe as an orca or a wolf. Luna received the name "Tsux'iit" from the Mowachaht-Muchalaht.
“Luna” attracted tourists from Canada , but also from abroad. In the summer of 2004, the Ottawa Ministry of Fisheries was supposed to arrange for the animal to be transported. The herd of the mother had been identified, moving north to south and back off the Canadian coast. But the Indians prevented the transport by taking boats out to sea and luring the whale away from the nets with songs. The government then rejected their plan and subsequently paid the Indians money so that they could ensure the safety of the animal.
Contrary to his nature, Luna got used to dealing with people and boats, which is why many went out to him to stroke him. The whale learned to shut down the boat propellers in order to have the people with them longer. This sociability also brought him injuries.
death
Luna was so badly injured by the screw of a 30m tug that he died. He died at Gold River in March 2006 .
Shortly thereafter, a controversy over guilt began. While animal rights activists blamed the fisheries authorities, local fishermen blamed the indigenous people. The Indians adopted the animal with a festive traditional ceremony. According to their belief, the soul of their chief has finally entered the spirit world.
After Luna's death, it became known that the killer whale, isolated from its conspecifics, which often stayed in the vicinity of sea lions, imitated the sounds of sea lions.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Luna: Lost Whale of Nootka Sound . Marine Mammal Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium. 2017.
- ↑ a b c d Luna (L98) - Nootka Sound's friendly orca: A true tale of a legendary whale (includes 24 minute documentary video) . Gold River Chamber of Commerce. March 11, 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ↑ a b c Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales ( Orcinus orca ) in Canada . Government of Canada. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ↑ a b Luna / L98 / Tsuux-iit . Orca Network. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ Greg Johnston: Welcome orca babies: Alki, Luna, Tatoosh . In: Seattle Post-Intelligencer , October 26, 2000. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ↑ Michael Parfit: Whale of a Tale . In: Smithsonian Magazine . November 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
- ↑ John Dewhirst, Michelle Filice: Re-incarnation: the Story of Luna . In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . November 12, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
- ^ Luna killed by tugboat. cbc news, March 10, 2006, accessed April 13, 2020 .
- ↑ Orca with a talent for languages. In: Wissenschaft.de. August 23, 2006, accessed September 8, 2019 .