Luna Breaks Sailboat Rudder

Thursday, July 1, 2004
GOLD RIVER, BC - An overly friendly young killer whale that Canadian fisheries officials have been trying to relocate has disabled a sailboat.

Luna broke the rudder off a sailboat in Mooyah Bay on Wednesday. The Canadian coast guard responded and the boat was towed into a nearby marina by an aluminum boat belonging to local Indians.

The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans decided earlier this year that, because Luna was a danger to himself and the public, the orca should be caught, relocated to a bay 200 miles south of here near Victoria, then released when his U.S. relatives were close enough for him to hear their calls.

But the plan was put on hold last week after a dispute escalated with local Indians who don't want the 5-year-old whale captured. One band believes Luna, who appeared here in Nootka Sound in 2001 after separating from his pod, embodies the spirit of their late chief.

The whale will stay where he is until fisheries officials and the Indians can agree on his future.

The sailboat incident is a reminder to everyone why Luna should be moved, fisheries spokeswoman Lara Sloan said.

"This is not unusual behavior for him and it is the reason why we wanted to go ahead with the relocation in the first place," she said. "He is a public danger."

The whale has grown dangerously friendly with people and boats. Last month, he surfaced in the path of a float plane that was landing.

Nootka Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

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