Photo: CJ Johnson

A lone orca in Comox Harbour has been providing thrills – until recently, that is.

Video shot on Sunday shows the transient orca pulling a sailboat right into another boat.

C.J. Johnson, a marine naturalist and a member of  Lifeforce, says "please enjoy this whale from the shoreline! He is feeding on seals in Comox Bay. This orca is like parents with small children, they only want to eat a meal in peace."

Johnson has been on the water conducting the Lifewatch boater education program and monitoring the orca’s behaviour, until, he says, "DFO determines that they will come to protect this orca and public safety. We had hope that the orca would leave before it became well known and led to major boater harassment."
 
Johnson says Lifeforce has documented and reported numerous incidents where people are getting too close to the orca. "We have also observed the orca's agitated, aggressive behaviour towards boaters harassing him."
 
Johnson believes the orca grabbing the anchor rope of a sailboat is a serious concern. "This type of behaviour resulted in the death an orca. A lone orca, Luna, separated from his family would play with boats in Gold River. While another orca, Springer, was reunited with her family near Telegraph Cove due to political interference, Luna was not. He was killed by a boat propeller."

Johnson reminds people to give the mammal a 200-metre berth. Until the orca leaves, all boats should enter and exit Comox Harbour at slow speed.