Two Orcas Freed from Barnes Lake
T051 and T049A2 Freed from the Lake. Photo taken by Chloe Kotik under NOAA MMHSRP Permit #24359
In mid-August two orcas T051 (male b. 1981) and T049A2 (male b. 2007), members of the transient or Bigg’s population (an ecotype of killer whale that preys exclusively on marine mammals) became trapped in Barnes Lake on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska for a total of six weeks.
Jared Towers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Bay Cetology confirmed the IDs of the two whales from images provided by residents in the area.
T051, nicknamed Roswell, is a large fully-grown adult male who ranges around British Columbia and Alaska. He is famous for being a lone male but periodically is observed traveling with other matrilines. T049A2 who is nicknamed Jude is a sprouting subadult male who is well known and frequently seen in the Salish Sea and around British Columbia. Unlike T051 who does not have a known family, T049A2 is a member of the T49A matriline but does not travel with them. Instead, he is known to associate with his uncle T049C and occasionally spends time with other males.
The local residents who saw the whales reported them to the NOAA 24-hour stranding hotline. When residents first saw the whales, they said they first looked like two jet skis. Coffman Cove resident Gary Vanaken first saw the whales moving through the southern channel and noted that their dorsal fins and backs were protruding out of the water because of how shallow the channel was.
Barnes Lake sits just northwest of Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales Island and is connected to the ocean by two narrow channels, which we will refer to as the North Channel, and the South Channel.
The two whales entered the lake during a high tide cycle, likely in pursuit of prey, and ultimately became trapped once the tide went out. During salmon runs, pinnipeds like seals and sea lions frequent the lake in pursuit of salmon traveling into the lake to make their way into streams and creeks to spawn. During low tides, the two channels are obstructed by thick kelp beds, shallow water, and exposed rocks that create rapids and waterfalls, making them impassable for the whales.
Experts had hoped the whales would leave on their own during the high tide cycle in early September, however, they did not and remained trapped, and it was time to intervene.
Coordinating a Response:
It had been several weeks that T51 and T49A2 had been in the lake, and the high tide cycle towards the end of September was the last chance to free the whales, who were likely to die if not freed. During the salmon runs, pinnipeds enter the lake following the runs, which likely provided food for the whales during the time in the lake, however, there was concern that once the salmon runs ended, so too would the pinnipeds entering the lake which would cause the whales to likely starve.
The response effort was coordinated by NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region which worked with multiple organizations including DFO, Orca Conservancy, as well as biologists, and the community of Coffman Cove who dedicated not only their time, but their boats, resources, and knowledge of the area. Additional help and information were also provided by Alaska Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Forest Service, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Orca Conservancy’s Chief Scientist Dr. David Bain along with Board Director/PhD Student, studying Bigg’s killer whales, Chloe Kotik were part of the response efforts.
This wasn’t Dr. Bain’s first incident involving orcas trapped in Barnes Lake. In 1994 Dr. Bain assisted with the response efforts of freeing a group of offshore killer whales that had become trapped in the lake. During the response this year, Dr. Bain spoke fondly of reconnecting with people he had met while working to free the whales in 94 and likened it to a sort of reunion.
Team members outside of Coffman Cove arrived between September 24th and 25th. Upon their arrival, teams began to coordinate a plan and assemble equipment that would be required for the response effort.
On September 27 teams surveyed the area and deployed a drone to collect aerial images, video, and data of the area and the whales. Images from the drone showed both whales to be in good body condition, indicating they were getting food. One researcher even noted that T051 appeared to be “quite plump”. Residents also noticed little to no pinnipeds in the lake during the whales’ stay in the lake. Based on the body condition of the whales, researchers suspected the lack of sightings of pinnipeds in the lake may have been caused by the whales eating them.
Freeing the Whales:
NOAA’s Alaska Regional Stranding Coordinator Mandy Keogh noted that Barnes Lake was a very challenging area to mount a response. The lake could only be accessed by the teams on the highest of tides, so tidal conditions along with the weather dictated when and how long the teams could work. The safety of the responders was of the utmost importance during the entire effort.
The teams had the high tide cycle between September 28 and October 2 when the channeles would be the deepest to free the whales. With a small time window, the teams used multiple techniques which included:
Acoustic recordings or playbacks of whales known to associate with the whales (specifically of females)
Hukilau, a Hawaiian fishing apparatus that utilizes long lines and floats deployed between multiple vessels
Oikomi Pipes, hollow metal pipes that create an acoustic disturbance when struck
Kelp in the North Channel (Photo by Dave Bain NOAA MMHSRP Permit #24359)
The formal plan involved a lead boat playing acoustic callbacks to the whales and luring them into the channel and leading them into the ocean. The idea with the acoustics was to make the whales think there were whales in that area so they would know they could travel through. Once the whales entered the channel multiple vessels traveling behind the whales would then deploy the hukilau to serve as a visual barrier to discourage the whales from turning back into the lake. Oikomi pipes were on hand but ultimately were not needed.
The first attempt to free the whales on Thursday the 28th. Jared and Chloe were aboard the lead boat playing the acoustics and were able to lure the whales into the North Channel. The North Channel was selected because it was much wider and deeper, which was more ideal for leading the whales out to the ocean. The lead boat was able to lure the whales into the North Channel, but this attempt was not successful as the kelp beds were too thick for the whales to pass through. Dr. Bain mentioned that T051, who is a large male, particularly struggled to navigate the kelp, and ultimately the two turned back into the lake.
The following day on September 29th, members worked two parallel approaches. While one group worked to remove kelp from the north entrance, the other members worked to move the whales through the south entrance, which was more narrow and shallow. The lead boat once again played the acoustics drawing the whales into the South Channel. Upon hearing the acoustic calls, the whales showed no hesitation entering the south channel, and once they were in the channel the hakilau was deployed and the whales followed the boat playing the acoustics into the ocean.
Orcas following boat in the South Channel (Jared Towers/DFO Canada taken under NOAA MMHSRP Permit #24359)
Upon their exit the two were documented as having traveled over 10 miles within a span of 2.5 hours, indicating their condition was still good enough for them to survive.
At one point, the orcas were observed going past a group of humpbacks feeding on a large bait ball. Fortunately, the two groups left one another alone, and the orcas were last seen at Lincoln Rock.
Orca Conservancy is incredibly proud to have been a part of the success, and we want to give a special thanks to Mandy Keogh with NOAA Fisheries, Jared Towers with DFO, all of the citizens of Coffman Cove who volunteered their time, boats, and resources to aid in the response, and all other team members and organizations who assisted in the efforts. This response effort would not have been possible without the coordination and collaboration of all the individuals, organizations, and community.
