r/orcas • u/xcheveryx Eat the rich • 14d ago
Wild Orcas Orcatober - Day 1: L98 Luna
This is a new series where I will cover 31 orcas - one for each day. Primarily my favorites and maybe yours too :)
Today, we'll start strong with one of the most famous wild orcas. L98 Luna.
Luna was likely born on September 19th, 1999. When he was first seen, it's believed he was only a few hours old.
Luna was seen with both L67 Splash and K18 Kiska, but it was ultimately determined that L67 Splash was his mother.
For several weeks after his birth, he traveled with K18 Kiska instead of L67 Splash. When he finally returned to his mother, he regularly swam farther away from her than most newborns do.
Luna was last seen with his family on September 23rd, 2000.
Around March 2001, a lone whale was reported in Nootka Sound. Luna. We don't know why he left his family, whether by choice or because he got separated. Orcas are very social animals, and it's uncommon for orcas to be alone.
In July 2001, Luna was seen alone in Gold River Inlet, located on Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nations people's territory.
Four days prior, their chief had passed. Before his death, he had told his people he would return as a whale, and Luna was believed to be his reincarnation. Luna was named Tsux'iit by the chief's son.
It was unclear if Luna would survive. He was only one year old, and completely separated from any orcas and, most importantly, his pod. But Luna survived and managed to feed himself. It's believed he fed on pilchards in his first year. They aren't typical prey for orcas, especially SRKWs. They feed on salmon, primarily chinook salmon. But Luna adapted.
Luna was also documented mimicking the sounds of sea lions in the area.
Luna initially avoided boats but eventually became comfortable with their presence. Too comfortable.
Luna became known for playing with boats, and the first boat he interacted with was the MV Uchuck III.
This boat couldn't move faster than he could swim, which made it a convenient play buddy. Luna learned to ride the bow waves or play with the wake of the boat. He also pushed rudders and played with water spraying from their hoses.
Luna also started engaging with people and even letting them pet him. The Luna Stewardship Project was established to stop people from engaging in these interactions and monitor his condition.
Around that time, Luna began spending more time at the docks and continued to interact with boats and people.
As a result, Luna sustained two large gashes on the side of his head in August 2003, likely from a boat's propeller.
Plans were made to return Luna to his pod. The DFO and US National Marine Fisheries Service announced Luna would be returned to his pod if his pod came close to Nootka Sound. The plan was to lead Luna out and towards them.
Biologists trained Luna to follow a boat.
Sadly, his pod never came close to Nootka Sound. The plan was abandoned.
In October 2003, DFO planned to move Luna to a pen so they could move him to his pod.
However, people became concerned that Luna would be captured and kept in captivity.
The Mowachaht-Muchalaht also did not approve, as they felt they had not been considered.
As planned, in May of the following year, the sea pen was built. Luna was led to the pen, but the Mowachaht-Muchalaht intervened, leading him away.
This went on for over a week until the capture was called off.
Negotiations between the DFO and the Mowachaht-Muchalaht began. It was agreed that the Mowachaht-Muchalaht would cooperate with plans to return Luna to his pod.
From then on, nothing was really done. Luna was monitored, but no attempts were made to return him to his pod.
During that time, Luna began damaging boats and became bolder in seeking human attention. Luna was known to interact with people and even play with sticks with them.
On the morning of March 10th, 2006, Luna approached the General Jackson, a boat he was familar with. He began playing with the boat as the boat idled. Luna got too close to the propellers and was sucked in. He was killed instantly.
Luna's story is a prime example of why whales and boats never mix, and why we should never encourage animals to approach us or boats. We cannot control orcas and their desire to approach boats, but we can control how we react and handle a situation. Luna's situation was a tragic accident, and the boat crew is not to blame.
Some more pictures of Luna's interaction with people/boats:
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u/getwhatImsaying 13d ago
this is great! can’t wait for more!
if you’re interested in more I really enjoyed the book
The Lost Whale: The True Story of an Orca named Luna
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u/catssowary 13d ago
Article on him from Orca Lab as well.
It's a shame he wasn't able to have Springer (A73)'s luck of being relocated/reintroduced to his pod. Getting cozy with people and boats was never going to end well...
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u/Painter_Wolf 13d ago
"Four days prior, their chief had passed. Before his death, he had told his people he would return as a whale, and Luna was believed to be his reincarnation. Luna was named Tsux'iit by the chief's son."
Not to mock the tribe's beliefs, but how exactly was Luna supposed to be the chief's reincarnation if he was already over a year old when the chief passed? Did the tribe think that the chief's spirit possessed Luna's body or something?
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u/xcheveryx Eat the rich 13d ago edited 13d ago
I'm not an expert on their beliefs, and it would be better for someone who actually knows to speak on it, but from what I understand, a l lot revolves around the number four in their culture. And Luna was seen four days after their chief passed.
Their chief had specifically said he'd like to come back as an orca. And four days after his death, Luma showed up. Luma's appearance was a pretty encouraging event for their tribe. To them, orcas are the enforcers of the sea.
They believe they will shape-shift into other animals after their death. I don't think this was a case of "posessing" Luna's body. They believe every animal has a soul, from what I remember.
That's all I can tell you. I know it doesn't really answer your question, but it's all I've got
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u/UmmHelloIGuess 12d ago
Man I miss luna so much. He was one of the orcas that sparked my love for them and remember when it aired on the news he passed.
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u/Practical_End_4487 12d ago
I love Luna. I am always so saddened when I think about him. Because there was so many things that could have been done. I can only imagine how he would be as an adult.
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u/SurayaThrowaway12 13d ago
One time when L98 Luna was trying to interact with people on a small boat, a couple of DFO officers tried to end the interact by maneuvering their boat in front of the other vessel. Not to be deterred, Luna poked his head out of the water between the DFO boat and the other vessel. He was such as sweet and playful individual. Makes what ultimately happened to him all the more dismaying.
It is just such as shame that Luna was not able to be reunited with L Pod, especially since his demise was a few years after A73 Springer's successful rehabilitation and eventually successfully reunion with her pod. Turns out that the local stewardship programs were not enough to protect Luna, who was by himself and actively trying to socialize with humans, perhaps as a substitute for social interactions with other SRKWS, in such urban waters.