But he appears much better now, researchers who spotted him earlier this month said. His family is not a member of one of the three regular pods that live in the waters of B.C. and northern Washington state, but a transient group not often spotted.
Sam was spotted in Weeteam Bay at Aristazabal Island on the central coast of B.C. in August of 2013 by Vancouver Aquarium and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) researchers. He was loudly vocalizing and the researchers, who monitored him, said Sam was not eating and Sam did not appear to want, or be able to, leave through the bay’s narrow entrance.
Their decision was to corral him and help him to get out of there so he might find food and have a chance to find his family. In a press release from the aquarium at the time, Marine Mammal Research Program Director Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard gave an account of the troubles Sam was in, and how Sam’s rescue at that time, which Dr. Barrett-Lennard helped effect, likely enabled him to survive and eventually find his family.
“The juvenile transient killer whale, which we named Sam, was discovered three weeks ago alone in a small bay with a very narrow entrance,” Dr. Barrett-Lennard said. “When first discovered by a research team anchored in the bay for the night, it was calling for its mother.
“Working collaboratively with DFO, Vancouver Aquarium staff had been monitoring it closely in hopes that it would overcome its reluctance or fear and pass through the bay’s shallow entrance on his own,” he added.
“After a few weeks, we noticed that his health began to deteriorate so we kept a close eye on him while we considered rescue options. On August 15 our…rescue effort was successful and Sam was last seen swimming to sea, calling out for his family.”
During the past two years those involved with that rescue have kept their eye out for him in hopes they would eventually learn he’d been reunited with his family and aquarium biologist Carla Crossman said they are delighted that has been the case. Cross said it was the best possible outcome.
