People at Ahousaht’s inner harbour were treated to a great surprise when a family of four kakawin (orca) swam in for a short visit. According to Ahousaht resident Marcie Calleweart, it happened Aug. 19 at about 4:30 p.m.
There are three docks in Ahousaht harbour; one smaller one near the entrance to the harbour called Mattie’s Dock, a main dock that sits deep in the harbour, and one known as hydro dock.
Calleweart was with a group on Mattie’s Dock when they spotted the kakawin approaching. “Those of us on the dock closest to the whales started yelling at the swimmers (who were at the main dock) that killer whales were coming. Someone over there (at the main dock) started yelling at them to get out of the water,” said Calleweart.
Calleweart is an Ahousaht school teacher. She is also a photographer and whale enthusiast. “Whale watching is a passion for me and I have worked as a photographer for whale watching companies in the past,” she shared.
The four kakawin visiting Ahousaht have been identified as members of the T109 pod, meaning they are transient orca. According to Calleweart, the T109 pod is made up of an adult female born in 1990 and her three offspring born in 2005, 2009 and 2012.
Transient orcas hunt marine mammals and stay close to the shoreline. Calleweart believes the pod found the inlet going into Ahousaht an attractive place to scout for lunch.
With four kakawin quickly approaching the main dock, young swimmers, mostly kids, scrambled out of the water and up onto the docks where they admired the beauty of the visitors to the bay.
They stayed out of the water for about 15 minutes, making sure their visitors were gone before jumping back in.
“It is very unlikely that the orcas would have harmed anyone if they were in the water, but they are the top predators of the ocean, so it is better to give them the space and respect they deserve,” said Calleweart.
