The Royal Canadian Navy is likely off the hook in connection with the that washed up on a Washington state beach in February, say U.S. officials.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to investigate why the three-year-old killer whale, known as L112, was found battered and bruised in Long Beach, Wash. on Feb. 11.
The orca had lived with a pod of 86 endangered southern resident killer whales.
Environmentalists immediately pointed fingers at the Royal Canadian NavyB次元官网网址檚 HMCS Ottawa, which used sonar and detonated two underwater charges during anti-submarine training in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off Vancouver Island, Feb. 6.
Marine biologists say certain sonar frequencies can interrupt whalesB次元官网网址� navigation and communication.
Though all possible causes of death, including sonar, canB次元官网网址檛 be ruled out at this stage in the investigation, U.S. officials say the animal, which likely died between Feb. 7 and 9, washed up near the mouth of the Columbia River, about 322 kilometres from Canadian waters B次元官网网址� a great distance from where the frigate was sailing.
B次元官网网址淚t is unlikely in the extreme it died in Canadian waters and drifted south,B次元官网网址� said Brian Gorman, the administrationB次元官网网址檚 spokesperson.
B次元官网网址淭he prevailing winds and currents are all from the south to the north, and itB次元官网网址檚 virtually impossible it could have died north of Long Beach and drifted south.B次元官网网址�
In a statement, Rear Admiral Nigel Greenwood, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, said, B次元官网网址淗MCS Ottawa followed the (navyB次元官网网址檚) Marine Mammal Mitigation Policy prior to and during the period when they were using shipsB次元官网网址� sonar, and prior to deploying the small charges. There were no reports, nor indications of marine mammals in the area.B次元官网网址�
Testing on tissue samples taken from L112 is now underway. The first wave of results are expected in the next three weeks.
However, testing doesnB次元官网网址檛 always pinpoint cause of death, Gorman cautioned.
B次元官网网址淚t is not uncommon, even with a fresh carcass and a thorough investigation and a thorough necropsy, for (investigators) to not make a definitive conclusion. This isnB次元官网网址檛 like television,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e may never know why this animal died.B次元官网网址�
To help further its investigation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contacted the Royal Canadian Navy through the U.S. Navy, seeking details about its activities.
B次元官网网址淲hen you start an investigation like this you donB次元官网网址檛 shut off any avenues,B次元官网网址� Gorman said.
B次元官网网址淚t might have been sonar, it might have been some kind of explosion, (the orca) might have been struck by a fishing boat, it might have been caught in a net. There are dozens of different possibilities and you canB次元官网网址檛 dismiss any of those until you have reason to dismiss one or more of them.B次元官网网址�
emccracken@vicnews.com
