It was caused by the rocks,” she said.Ĭottrell said the injuries were superficial, but the porpoise still needed to get into deeper waters. “There was a bit of fishing line around the snout, so we took that out and then it had a few lacerations on the body, but there was no bleeding or anything. Nathalie Marie, who lives close by, said she spotted the calf and it appeared to be injured. We’re hoping the animal met up with mom, we’re optimistic, but it’s a difficult one at that age to reunite.” “It took a long time … they ended up taking it out into deep water and giving it the best chance in releasing the animal. “They were able to then take it out into deeper water and take some time with it to see if it could equilibrate and get its bearings back,” said Cottrell. He said porpoises travel in smaller groups, usually consisting of mother and calf, and it appears the porpoise became separated. Their blood pools and they get disoriented, so it was important to get that animal back in the water and see if it could reorient itself.” “It’s all about quick response with these young animals and cetaceans when they end up on land,” said Cottrell. Those who called the DFO for assistance did the right thing, he said. 14.Ĭottrell estimated the calf was less than a month old, and said it was “thrashing” in a tidal pool. Paul Cottrell, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada marine mammal response coordinator, said he and another specialist on scene, with assistance from beach-goers at Pacific Shores Resort and Spa in Nanoose Bay, were able to help the porpoise and guide it back into deep waters Sunday, Aug. Sadly, she swam away with the next incoming tide.Members of the public and marine mammal response staff came to the rescue of a stranded porpoise on Vancouver Island this week. So, we made some beach art and pretended the mermaid found us and decided to live in the rocks forever. She said, “Don’t be silly dad, they hide in the sand, you have to free them first”. I tried to do this with my daughter Athena. Send in your favorite picture of a tidal pool creature and I will write an article about the species and make sure your picture is published. Plan a mission of tidal discovery and go out and explore. The slip on the seaweed covered rocks as I scrambled up to another pool, the salty taste of the starfish’s back (yea, I licked one once), the feel of the sticky green tentacles of the sea anemone, the sea snails, the sharp point of the barnacle, the Nudibranchs’ slow sluggish crawl, the skittish nature of the small hermit crab, the porcupineish quills of the sea urchin, the smooth feel of the armoured Chitons, and the unique ability of the Limpet shell to make a series of small “finger hats” for a tide side puppet show! The discoveries are endless. The summer exploration missions to nearby tidal pools are probably the stickiest memories I have of summers on Vancouver Island. A set of memories that I think gave me an appreciation for the diversity of our ocean life memories that formed my inquiring mind’s desire to know everything about our local marine life. But there is one set of memories that stands out. Fishing with my father on one of the many beautiful lakes we have, picking berries, swimming in the rivers, watching wildlife, dodging the rain, camping, and of course spending time on our beaches. There are certain memories that stick with me from when I was a little boy growing up on Vancouver Island. All in all, my hope is that we can each beach better and get out with our families and kids to explore and learn from doing. In my next series of articles over this summer I will be focusing on beachly family adventures to our local tidal pools, ways to increase our beachability, general family beachiness, beach walks, beach talks, and my little girl’s favorite – beach art (which washes away with each tide leaving a brand new canvass!). Easily accessible at low tide, our coastal tidal pools make great daily excursions for families and children. The tidal pools along the BC coast hold some of the smallest but most important creatures in BC. Originally printed Friday, June 29, 2018, in The North Island Eagle Special thanks to Publisher of The North Island Eagle, Kathy O’Reilly
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