Aquarium staff work to save false killer whale
Posted July 10, 2014 11:23 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s an aquatic mammal few have seen in BC waters.
An effort to save a false whale calf (Pseudorca crassidens) is underway at the Vancouver Aquarium.
A team from the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre with assistance from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other agencies rescued the animal which was found washed ashore and in poor condition on North Chesterman Beach near Tofino.
The false killer whale, which appears to be grey in a photo, is distinct from the average killer whale (Orcinus orca) and is a member of the dolphin family.
It has since been transported to Vancouver for treatment.
The centre rescues stranded marine mammals and rehabilitates them for release back into their natural habitat if the animal is healthy enough.
These whales have apparently been known to approach and offer fish they have caught to humans diving or boating.
More info is expected from the Vancouver Aquarium about the mammal’s condition at 10am.
