Description

On March 23rd 2024 tragedy struck in a small lagoon near the town of Zeballos on the west coast of Vancouver Island. T109A3 “Spong”, a 14-year-old Bigg’s Orca, was hunting harbour seals in Little Espinosa Inlet with her 2 year old daughter T109A3A when she became trapped on a sand bar on her side. Despite desperate rescue attempts Spong drowned when the quickly rising tide submerged her blowhole, her body too heavy to be righted by rescuers, and it was later realized that she was pregnant with an unborn calf.

Spong’s daughter, staying in the shallow waters by her side and calling out for her mother, became trapped in the tidal lagoon. It was here she stayed for 34 days. The shallow lagoon offers little in terms of shelter or food. With a narrow entrance of only 120 feet wide it requires just the right tides to be deep enough to pass, and at that time of the year the tides were very shallow – for only 30 minutes every day the entrance was deep enough for the little orca to swim herself free.

Several rescue organizations worked tirelessly to try to coax her to deeper waters, monitor her condition, and keep her safe, including DFO’s Marine Mammal Response, Bay Cetology, and the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations. They played acoustic recordings of the calf’s family and grandmother, used netting and boats to persuade her towards the exit, and offered her herring and seal meat. The young orca was seen catching birds in the lagoon- not much in the way of sustenance- but showing remarkable capability for such a young orca.

It is at around 2 years of age that orcas are given a name (in addition to the numerical designation assigned at birth). It was now that the Ehattesaht First Nation named her: kʷiisaḥiʔis (kwee-sahay-is) or Brave Little Hunter.

Brave Little Hunter swam to freedom at around 2am on April 26th after 34 days trapped in the shallow lagoon. Rescue organizations escorted her the length of the inlet to the open ocean of the west coast, in hopes she will reunite with her grandmother, aunt and cousins. She was last seen around May 10th, and while this is quite some time ago, it is seen as a good thing that she is taking care of herself somewhere along the remote coast of Vancouver Island. Orcas are not unknown to join unrelated family groups, and she may be adopted by another pod.

15% from the sale of this original painting and 15% from ‘Brave Little Hunter’ Limited Edition Canvas Prints, Cards, and Matted Prints will be donated to Bay Cetology.

The canvas prints will be limited to 34 reproductions- the number of days Brave Little Hunter stayed in the lagoon.

For more information please visit Bay Cetology: https://baycetology.org/

Cards are $5 each or 5 for $20

Printed on high quality card stock
Blank inside with envelope included
All original prints
Made in Canada

Matted Prints are standard sizes in a double white mat $45

Giclees printed on archival cotton fine art paper
Acid, lignin and chlorine free
High quality Epson inks
Double mat fits standard frame sizes
Made in Canada

Canvas Prints – various sizes and prices

Archival cotton canvas Giclee prints stretched over 1.5″ wide wooden stretcher bars
Additional coating of museum grade protective UV varnish
Basis Weight: 430 gsm, Material: Cotton, Surface Finish: Satin, Thickness: 23 mil
Certificate of Authenticity
Edition limited to 150 prints
Signed by the artist and embellished with fresh paint
Wired and ready to hang
Printed in Vancouver, BC to the highest modern printing standards
Made in Canada