Bigger Boats, More Nets, People Arrive in Zeballos, BC, for New Orca Rescue Attempt

Deckhands from the Homalco First Nations ready a seine boat out front of the Ehattesaht First Nation's band office in Zeballos, B.C., on April 18, 2024. The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito

A large seine fishing vessel capable of casting a net strong enough to hold a nearly 700-kilogram killer whale calf has arrived in Zeballos, B.C., to participate in the latest attempt to rescue the young orca stranded in a remote tidal lagoon.

The flat-bottom aluminum vessel has a built-in crane-like device for lifting heavy nets, and it’s expected to be deployed as part of a rescue effort that could happen any day now in the lagoon on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island.