Their historic return is a sad reminder of what happened to the rest of their pod
||| FROM GREEN MATTERS |||
Animal lovers may recognize the name Penn Cove thanks to a gruesome incident in the area from 1970. During the herding of more than 80 orcas, five were killed, and seven were captured.
Whether that horror remains fresh on the mind of orcas swimming through the nearby waters of Washington state remains to be seen. However, since the attack, the mammals have notoriously avoided that fateful cove.
However, in a surprising change, orcas from the original 1970 pod were spotted swimming in Penn Cove in November 2024.
Continue reading to learn more about what happened all those years ago that kept the whales away, and what it means to those who got a chance to witness their triumphant return.
What was the 1970 Penn Cove orca capture?
The dark history of the Penn Cove orcas can be traced back to Aug. 8, 1970, when a crew was brought in to round up 80 orcas from the Southern Resident L pod. According to the Heritage Resources blog, they were chased into the cove using several different methods, including explosions and boats.
During the brutal attack, five of the orcas died. It’s said that the deaths included one mature female orca and four young calves, all of which were killed after getting tangled in the nets and drowning.
Those five orcas were then “sunk” in the waters off of the coast of Washington so that the organization tasked with capturing the whales wouldn’t have to include them in their final tally, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation North America (WDC) blog.
The tragedy and brutality of that day didn’t stop with the loss of life. Fishermen captured seven young calves, separating them from the rest of the pod to be shipped off to various aquariums, where they were put into exhibits.
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