Sad news...

[trophywife]

thought i read it may have been "C.O.D." or was,,, pregnancy complications.. and thank you for the pics, humbling.

 

[GDW]

Just seem like morbid photos to me. 3 angles of this magnificint animal laid out on the beach all rashed up with its tongue hanging out. Sounds like most enjoyed the pictures though and the thing even became a mini attraction? Sorry if I came across harsh I DO very much enjoy dead (fishermen caught) fish pictures but this is no fish and personally I don't feel those pictures show respect to the whale. We all have our different ways of showing respect though.

In my culture (white canadian) we usually share a picture of our friends and loved ones in good health when paying our respects instead of how their corpse is found.

To Rhapsody the whale I thank you for sharing your home as well as your food with me. What we do for pleasure (fish) was your way of life and certainly you crossed paths with many members of this forum. Most of us will remember you as a magnificent mamal, mother to be, and one hell of a fishermen.



I commend you for donating your body to science and truly hope it can be used to help those you left behind. In life and death you were often surrounded by people who would go far out of their way just for a look at you. The waters are all yours now. You finally have peace.

 

[Fish Assassin]

In my culture (white canadian)

From stupid to racist, we've now seen it all......... Give it up man

 

[mhbradley]

Let's try to spin this one back to the remembrance of J32.

Rhapsody was a beautiful creature and signifies the perfect double edged sword for us fisherman. Every time a fisherman sees the resident orcas the fishing shuts off, but the whales sure are a treat to see from the boat...

 

[profisher]

I have always wondered why no humans are ever tested prior to death for toxin levels! I would like to know what levels of these same toxins we have in our systems. I can only assume that the lack of testing on us is because those in charge don't want us to know.

 

[spring fever]

While everyone is saddened by the passing of this Orca-perhaps it is better to wait for the necropsy before jumping to any earth shattering conclusions. Everyone seems to suppose the death was the result of Toxins or some other malevolent force; that may well be, however it could be the result of a problem with her possible pregnancy. I'm sure they will publish the cause of death and that could well be the time for some well deserved Navel gazing on our part.

 

[profisher]

One of the last Orca's to end up on a beach was over near Vancouver. After toxicology tests it was determined that the levels were so high that it would be illegal under the environmental laws to bury it onshore. It was towed to sea and sunk.

 

[beemer]

The unofficial story is that the fetus was near full term but died prior to birth causing a massive infection in the mother. The toxicology report will be of interest unfortunately it will take months to complete and we will be on to the next news worthy environmental disaster.

beemer

 

[rovingfisherman]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada...r-teeth-taken-from-dead-orca-in-b-c-1.2136567

 

[Dave S]

Lets not forget that they survive by eating 99% on the Chinook salmon from our region. The same salmon that we feed our children and friends. The same toxins that are killing them are also killing us. DFO only does token pollution and toxicology reporting on our salmon. Connect the dots.

beemer

I think this statement is flawed. The orcas diet is much different from our diet. They eat salmon 99% of the time, and my families diet is less than 5% salmon. And only around half of that is chinook. This leads me to believe I am not poisoning my family, but if you have more to offer, I'd be happy to hear it.

Also, I think it's quite likely that they absorb toxins from the water they live in as well.

 

[beemer]

I think this statement is flawed. The orcas diet is much different from our diet. They eat salmon 99% of the time, and my families diet is less than 5% salmon. And only around half of that is chinook. This leads me to believe I am not poisoning my family, but if you have more to offer, I'd be happy to hear it.

Also, I think it's quite likely that they absorb toxins from the water they live in as well.

Hi Dave S , here is a link to a outline of the role of toxins as they relate to the Resident Killer Whales . http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/education/documents/whale-epaulard/orca_bioaccumulation_lesson4_e.pdf

I do agree that ingesting 5% of anything is different than ingesting 100% , but if you look at the role that bio accumulation has in these particular chemicals and how they affect the whales that 5% becomes a scary number.

beemer

 

[GLG]

Such sad news, so close to home .... Will wait for the results on the tests but the PDF that beemer posted had one sentence that, I think that most would agree, is troubling.

How can it be that we allow these chemicals to go into the environment and build up in the food chain?

 

[Califbill]

Looking at this from an outsiders perspective. I have wondered for years, how such a great area and people can continue to dump raw sewage from the Capitol city in to the sea. Is the same attitude used with chemical users and refineries?

 

[ziggy]

This link that might help you understand why there is an issue http://www.rstv.ca . Have to warn you though its by a doctor as opposed to a guy dressed up like a turd. Lol

 

[Califbill]

Leaves a lot of open questions. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Next to Berkely. And we used to dump minimally treated sewage in to the bay. Floating turds, etc at the end of the Oakland estuary. All that Ecoli and coliform can not be good for the fish or the environment. All is now treated, except when heavy fog or rains over stress the capacity of the City of SF capacity. But their storm drains and sewage system are the same. I am not of the ultra tree hugger persuasion, but do like clean waters as I do snorkel and surf. I think a lot of the ADD and autism is environment caused. And lots of it from the hormones in the waters. Unfortunately sewage and water treatment plants do not take those out.

 

[ziggy]

Yeah, understand your point. I also remember when ships in San Diego and Frisco discharged directly into the harbour. My point was simply to indicate to you as in your own words an "outsider" what's at play. I' m sure you realize that conditions are different here than San Francisco harbour and are capable of drawing your own conclusions. Suffice to say the hot debate is not about cost, but value.

 

[profisher]

I would rather see a water treatment plant to extract the chemicals and minerals from the water before the human waste. That would be worth the money and would have a positive long term effect on fish and marine mammals.

 

[ziggy]

I believe there are also issues with storm drain runoff as well as Agricultural and Industrial runoff that a sewage treatment plant won't capture. Not to mention heavy metals and chemicals in sewage that can bypass treatment.

Still its poor optics and perhaps ( I'm no expert) a case of money being targeted to a cause that may not provide much environmental bang for the buck, but is easy to understand .

It's been discribed as a natural septic tank effect and if true I guess we should also say many rural areas residents dump actual raw sewage into their front yards. Having said that, the issue has got so much attention now something will have to be done. Already I've heard it used as an excuse for oil pipelines ( you allow raw sewage into the water), lobbying for more tourism (don't go there) and vessels not using their holding tanks.

In my opinion, its an example of an environmental industry that more and more sells expensive solutions to minor or non existent problems while ignoring ones that need to be solved and robbing them of funding. But as I said I'm no sewage expert, but I'm sure several posters that are will weigh in lol.

 

[seadna]

I can't recall where I read this but at one time I did see a report suggesting that perhaps one of the problems down here in the Puget Sound was due to the reduction of sewage flow into the sound from the 60's onward. The logic was that prior to man's restructuring of the shoreline, a lot of organic material made it's way into the nearshore waters due to natural runoff and erosion. As we built seawalls, we severely limited that input but we accidently compensated for some of it by dumping sewage (other organic material) into the water. Once we quit doing that too, the nearshore environment wasn't getting enough organic material to survive and that has lead to a decline of nearshore kelp, grasses etc that provide good juvenile salmon rearing habitat. Again, I don't recall where I read this and I can't even say if there is any actual science to support this theory. However, I mention it since it may be that some organic inputs to the water are a good thing. E.g. it's possible that there might be unintended consequences if Victoria shut down it's discharge. That said, human sewage needs to be properly treated to remove various toxins and drugs that we put into the water prior to being discharged.

 

[Fish Camp]

I apologize for posting pics of J32 ,didn't think j32 had name ,more curious, and did not know of living photo to share.Makes me sick, to think photo's and location I reported led to crime of missing teeth. DFO and Native bands should have had secured j32 till they new what to do with her.I don't enjoy learning from my mistakes ,another poor release on my part. FC