GOLD RIVER, BC (12 Feb 2003) -- A British Columbia woman could face a huge fine for playing with a killer whale. After concerns were raised that an orca hanging around the Nootka Sound was becoming too socialized to humans, police in Gold River, B.C., charged the woman with disturbing a marine animal. Residents of the small community on the west coast of Vancouver Island have been getting friendly with the orca, known locally as Luna, for the past two years. The whale became separated from his pod and has gradually become more accustomed to people, now spending much of his time near the local government dock. John Ford, a marine mammal scientist with the federal Fisheries and Oceans Department, has been watching the whale. "He's catching salmon and sardines and other things, so he's making a living there," said Ford. "His main problem right now really is people." The patting and playing is concern enough, but some say the socializing with Luna has gone too far. "There are actually people going out in the dead of night and pouring beer down its throat," said Michael Harris of the Orca Conservancy in Seattle. "That's not loving a whale, that's exploiting a wild animal." In an effort to make a stand, police arrested a woman caught patting the whale and charged her for the whale's protection. The woman could be fined as much as $100,000. | | Luna "The behaviour of humans is getting dangerous for the whale," said RCMP Cpl. Jackie Olsen. The woman will appear in court in May and could face a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted of disturbing the whale. The experts hope people will leave the orca alone, and hope he will return to his pod. |
