Posted on 06/18/2004 8:37:35 PM PDT by nuconvert
Canadian Officials Postpone Plan to Relocate Killer Whale Said to Be Reincarnated Indian Chief
The Associated Press
June18,2004
TORONTO (AP) - Scientists on Friday postponed plans to relocate a killer whale off Canada's west coast so Indians could spend time with the animal they regard as the reincarnation of their late chief. "Luna" the whale separated from his pod, or family, and arrived in Notch Sound off British Columbia in 2001 at about the same time the chief of the Mowachaht-Muchalaht tribe died.
Luna, now 5 years old, became fond of folks in Gold River, a former mill town of 1,400 people on Vancouver Island, B.C., some 125 miles north of the U.S. border.
People often came down to the dock to see the lonely whale, who used to snoop around boat propellers and docks. One person even tried to brush the whale's teeth.
Earlier this month, Luna surfaced in the path of a landing sea plane.
Scientists, saying they feared the whale could hurt himself near the boats, planned this week to take the first steps to return him to his pod by luring him into a pen.
But Wednesday, members of the Mowachaht-Muchalaht in canoes lured Luna out to sea, vowing to stop the plan to relocate Luna.
The paddlers have remained in their canoes, singing traditional songs and stamping their canoe paddles on the bottom of the boats to draw Luna to them and away from the scientists.
Marilyn Joyce, marine mammal coordinator for the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the scientists met Chief Mike Maquinna and are going to give the Indians until early next week to practice their cultural traditions on the water.
Mackinaw has said his people believe Luna embodies the spirit of Maquinna's late father. The chief said his father made a deathbed wish for his spirit to inhabit a killer whale.
Video footage of the aboriginal paddlers stroking and scratching Luna - even rubbing his teeth - as the whale playfully swum alongside the canoes was broadcast internationally.
Scientists want to lure Luna into a net pen to undergo medical tests. If found healthy, he would be crane-lifted into a water-filled container, placed on the back of a transport truck, then driven the distance down the Vancouver Island coast.
Luna would then be placed in another net pen and released when his pod is in acoustic distance.
What a bunch of lunatics.
Paging Harpoon Willy. Paging Harpoon Willy. Please pick up the white courtesy phone.
Ooooga-Boooga. Celebratin' that there Die-versity.
LOL!
Just when you think you have heard it all.
So there is no seperation of church and state in Canada? Or what that be insanity and state?
Yup. Couldn't turn in before posting this one.
Chief swim around boat propellers? Ugh! Chief not smart;)
This is the part where the liberals end up in a recursive feedback loop until their heads explode from trying to decide between "celebrate diversity" and "save the whales."
LOL
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