Luna's rough love takes toll of Nootka boats

Judith Lavoie
Times Colonist

July 24, 2005

Hopes that Luna the lonely orca is losing his fascination with boats faded Friday.

The five-year-old whale, apparently attracted by the summer influx of boats in Nootka Sound, spent much of the day dismantling parts of vessels.

"He came into the marina here and spent about two hours beating up boats," said Cameron Forbes, owner of Critter Cove Marina on Tlupana Inlet. "He broke three boats. He's ripped the brackets off the kicker motors."

Forbes said he tried unsuccessfully for two hours to get help from the coast guard's rapid response boat at Friendly Cove and from the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation.

Eventually, Luna was lured from Critter Cove by the MV Uchuck -- one of his favourite vessels -- which was on a regular run.

The Mowachaht/Muchalaht has asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to pay for a band vessel on the water constantly during fishing season to steer Luna away from trouble.

However, negotiations for the "stewardship" agreement are moving slowly. In the meantime, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht say they are already doing patrols that they are funding themselves.

The boisterous whale, who turned up in Nootka Sound on his own four years ago, is growing fast.

"He's just like a bull in a china shop," said Forbes. "He's done a lot of damage in the last few days. He's really frisky and he's really scaring people."

Forbes, who is worried that Luna will come to harm, said small fishing and pleasure boats will be moving into campgrounds around Nootka Sound next week and fishing in the protected areas of the sound, where the whale hangs out.

"I'm afraid that if there's any trouble on the water, it's going to happen in the next couple of weeks."