A young orca got stuck in a Canadian lagoon. Locals scrambled to help. After a month, the calf finally found a way out.
Around March 23, the orca calf and its mother entered the lagoon at Vancouver Island. It was a tidal lagoon. During high tide, a narrow path opens to the sea. At low tide, the path closes.
The orca’s mother became trapped. She died on the rocky beach. But her calf swam on. It couldn’t find the way back out. People from nearby villages soon discovered the stranded calf.
Orcas are sometimes called “killer whales.” That name came from ancient sailors. The sailors saw orcas hunting whales. But orcas are unlikely to attack humans. In fact, they’re sometimes friendly. And they actually belong to the dolphin family.
People came together to help the baby orca. Fishery department officials helped. So did groups from the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations. (Members of those Native tribes live near the lagoon.) Marine experts offered their knowledge.
They tried to lure the orca into a sling. That way, they could carry it to freedom. But even a 50-person team couldn’t catch the calf. The rescuers used boats, divers, and whale-finding equipment. The orca dodged them all.
One woman tried a different approach. At high tide, she played a violin. She hoped to coax the orca out. Did the orca enjoy its own personal concert? Maybe. But it didn’t swim to freedom.
On Friday, the orca found a way out. It did so by itself. No rescue teams or violins required! At high tide, it traveled the narrow path to freedom. It swam to the Little Espinosa Inlet. From there, it can reach the sea. When it does, officials hope its relatives will hear its calls.
The Bible tells us people are stuck too. Not in a lagoon—in sin. People try all sorts of things to rescue themselves. But like the officials trying to help the orca, our best efforts aren’t enough. Only Jesus can rescue us from sin. He came to the world to do just that. Now that’s good news!
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16
