ZEBALLOS, British Columbia (AP) — A young killer whale that was trapped for more than a month in a lagoon on Vancouver Island swam past a bottleneck at high tide early Friday, reaching an inlet that could take it to the open sea, officials said.
The Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations said in a statement that a team monitoring the 2-year-old calf saw it swim past the area where its mother had died, pass under a bridge and head down the inlet “all on her own.”
The young orca still must leave the Little Espinosa Inlet to reach open ocean.
The calf had been stuck in the tidal lagoon near the British Columbia village of Zeballos about 450 kilometers (280 miles) northwest of Victoria since March 23, when its pregnant mother became trapped at low tide and died on a rocky beach.
“Today the community of Zeballos and people everywhere are waking up to some incredible news and what can only be described as pride for strength this little orca has shown,” Chief Simon John said in a release.
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Forum: Democracy takes many forms
Xizang celebrates 65 years of democratic reform
China condemns terrorist attack in Pakistan
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 26
Israeli killing of aid workers condemned by international community
German politicians, and businessmen expect Scholz's visit to China to drive bilateral cooperation
Israel pulls troops out of southern Gaza
Biden says Brown v. Board of Education ruling was about more than education
China strongly opposes Blinken's criticism of Article 23
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
U.S. uses small strategic groups to get its way