We arrived at the Gold River Government Dock at 10:00 am. Things are pretty quiet as no one is at the docks this morning. We set up our look out and make sift information desk on the far side of the Uchuck dock where we can see the parking lot and the inlet. We scan the area for signs of Luna. The tide is high and the river is flooding fast from the past weeks heavy rain. Many logs and sticks shoot past us into Muchalat Inlet. No sign of L-98. At 10:30 the tug North Arm Prowler comes into the dock and ties up next to us. They have just come in through Zuciarte Channel from the outside and did not see Luna. They are only here for a short time to get supplies for the weekly fuel route. We make plans to be in radio contact for a Luna report if he isn't spotted before they leave the dock Although the tug comes in weekly, this captain hasn't been in the inlet since last year and is quite surprised L-98 is still here and at the dock. We have video footage from last September of Luna following this tug out past the Houston River. At 11:00 Mary -Lou arrives at the dock. Because the tug's generator is so loud, we move our Luna Station to the parking lot area near Air Nootka. We get updated on the latest Luna news and Share with Mary-Lou the Seattle PI article and present her with a Whale Museum Orca Adoption package for Luna as a thank you for all of her help. To see the article and find out more about Luna adoptions go to: www.whalemuseum.org. Around 11:30 cars start to arrive and the place begins to wake up. The first car is a couple and their dog looking for Luna. We chat with them and tell them no one has seen him yet today. They use our binoculars and do a scan. Mary-Lou mentions that in her time at the docks, Luna doesn't seem to come in close when the river is running strong. The truck with the tug supplies arrives. At 11:40 we spot Luna on the far shore. He is just barley breaking the surface, milling exhaling small blows. At 11:45 the tug leaves the dock, and although they are moving quite slowly, Luna pays them no attention. Many cars have arrived at the dock with people hoping to see Luna. We are worried because Gold River is hosting a Pee-Wee Hockey tournament this weekend and the town is packed with families from Comox, Courtney, and Campbell River. The Ridge Motel is full and it is a sunny wonderful day. We hope Luna stays where he is.
Around 12:30 the Air Nootka plane is headed back in, they make a low banking turn near the far shore and we are sure they are watching Luna. When the woman gets off the plane she comes over to where we are to see if we have seen Luna today. She is a cook at Mooyah Bay and is on her weekend. It turns out they did not see Luna, and were surprised he was out there. At 12:45 a truck with 6 kids climb out to see Luna. We chat briefly with them, explain where he is and tell them we have more information if they want to come back and chat with us after they look for him. They head down the dock and after a few miMr.es begin to bang a pole off the edge of the dock and jump up and down to try and attract Luna. Mary-Lou goes down to talk with them and Doug and I greet the next car load of excited kids and parents. By 13:30 a steady stream of people have come to visit, mostly involved with the hockey tournament but some from surrounding towns just to see Luna, many are from Gold River and have either come down quite a bit or have not seen him yet but have heard he is hanging out at the dock. We collect some great stories from folks. People are very appreciative that we are here, we hand out some information on whales from The Whale Museum and the BC Sightings Network, and answer their many, many questions. 14:00 Glenn Hammond, a.k.a. Radar, arrives at the dock with a few buddies and heads down the dock with supplies to the Jervis Bay. We say hello and give him a copy of the Seattle PI with his picture on the front page. He is delighted and we can hear his cronies jibing him about being be a celebrity of sorts. He gives us copies of some photos he has of Luna for us to use. They head out for McCurdy creek, but Luna still stays across the way. Mostly Luna has been between Quaquina Point and Victor Island. 15:00 Luna is still at the far shore. We go in to say hi to the Air Nootka crew and to give them an Orca Adoption as a thank you as well. Lorraine is not there, but they assure us she will be thrilled. 16:00 Not much activity, a few folks down to work on their boats. The security guard for the mill comes down to chat and share stories. It starts to rain lightly. By 17:00 it is rainy and cold, and the cars have stopped coming. L-98 remains near Victor Island. We have seen a few lunges and tail lobs this past hour. We pack it up and head for a warm shower and then dinner with Mary-Lou and her family.
At 10:00 we set up again, using the tail gait of our truck as the Luna Info Center. We look out and find Luna way out in front of the cabins at Jaklah River. He is splashing and milling about. A few people are already at the dock looking for him. We talk with them and let them use the binoculars to keep track of him. At 11:00 a small boat leaves Jaklah, but they keep on course and speed to the GR dock, and Luna doesn't follow. Shortly thereafter another boat arrives from behind Victor Island. They slow down, and with in miMr.es we can see the boat being pushed around by Luna. A crowd gathers at the dock, and we watch through binoculars as the people on the boat lean over to interact with Luna. Mary-Lou arrives. By 11:30 the boat with L-98 is headed toward the docks, then passes by and heads up the river to the boat ramp. Luna follows up to the Air Nootka dock, then heads in to the Gold River Dock. People run down to the lower dock to see him before we can even try to keep them up. Mary-Lou goes down with the gang and we stay up and great new arrivals and encourage them to stay on the upper dock. Luna is rubbing and pushing a small blue boat on the end of the dock. He then moves in to the middle part of the dock, closer to the people, and hangs out underneath a small aluminum ribbed boat.
Luna remains with them as they work on the boat. People gather on the Uchuck dock to watch, at one point I count 26 people, mostly kids from the Hockey tournament. Doug, Mary-Lou and myself are kept busy for the next hour or so talking to people and sharing our information on Luna's story and The Luna Stewardship Project. Again, people are fascinated and appreciative of us being there. Most people have a lot of misinformation regarding Luna and killer whales in general. Many continue to think his pod will come back to get him and that he is eating the sea lions that we can hear from the dock when it is quiet. We do a lot of explaining and listening to people. People from Gold River seem genuinely interested in helping Luna, and are eager to promote good stewardship. We are quick to thank them for their good behavior and for educating others. At 14:00 Luna has moved back to the blue boat at the main dock, and we are able to keep most people up on the Uchuck dock (about 8 feet above the water). People have a great view from up above, and while Luna pauses every once in a while to look up at us, he is mostly doing his own thing. A car drops off a group of teen aged kids and they start to head down the dock. Doug walks down to them as they push the blue boat back and forth to Luna. They tell Doug that they often come down to hang out with Luna after dark and that last night there we lots of people down here and Luna was at the dock with them. They are interested in L-98 and for today they do not encourage him to come closer. Around 14:30 Luna follows a small boat out of the area, and peels off the boat out near Victor Island, where he remains milling about. A logging crew has gathered at the dock to head out to Mooyah Bay for the next 20 days. It has started to rain and all their stuff is getting wet as they wait for their boat driver. The Air Nootka people arrive at the office, and an RCMP officer shows up to see how things are going. Most people have left because of Luna leaving the dock and the rain. A few persistent couples from Campbell River wait for him to return. All of a sudden there is a POUF near the upper dock…it is a California sea lion come to investigate. Everyone is excited, and it hangs out at the dock for a while them moves off amongst the log booms. Luna stays out by Victor Island. By 15:30 it is raining hard and things have quieted down. Doug and I head out to make it to Parksville by dark as we are catching the early morning ferry from Departure Bay. Mary Lou and another volunteer, Katie will stay for a little while and if it's not busy they will call it a day.
· Many people that we spoke with suggested interesting,
colorful and in your face signage explaining more about Luna and
why it is bad to interact. We are working at The Whale Museum to
create some displays on basic killer whale natural history, Southern
Residents, and on Luna's story and family. We plan to have a small
library, a spotting scope, some written materials and official t-shirts
to identify volunteers. The Luna Stewardship Project is also creating
more current situation guidelines for watchers and boaters.
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