Killer Whale Meets Dog

The picture below, which has been spreading around via email, looks like one of those things that's too fantastic to be true. But it's real. The whale is Luna, a killer whale that showed up in Nootka Sound, Canada back in 2001. Luna had lost contact with his pod and didn't seem to know what else to do besides hanging out in the sound, interacting with all the people there. This picture was taken at the docks off Gold River. Scientists want to reunite Luna with his pod, but this is being resisted by members of the Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nations tribe who claim that Luna is the reincarnation of their late chief. image

Animals Photos

Posted on Thu Oct 28, 2004



Comments

Hi Alex
I can vouch for the authenticity of this picture as the dog belongs to my sister in law, a long time Gold River resident, his name is Henry. I'm not exatly sure but I believe the picture was taken by a local reporter down on the dock.
Since this shot Luna has become a bit of a legend and a bit of a pest, he has quite a hate on for the odd sailboat having damaged rudders and keels and terrorizing at least a couple of hapless sailors...
Love your site
Regards
Paul de Goutiere
Posted by Paul de Goutiere  on  Thu Oct 28, 2004  at  11:00 AM
I think it's weird that anyone (Canadian, American, Natives) would go to so much trouble for an ANIMAL. I think it's weird when PETA spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on ad campaigns to save animals. Spend your time feeding kids or mentoring. It's like that song, "We'll Save the Whales But Kill the Children".
Posted by Maegan  on  Thu Oct 28, 2004  at  12:14 PM
>>I think it's weird when PETA spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on ad campaigns to save animals.

Why is that weird? PETA is spending the money of people who donate to that cause and believe in it. Those people want the money they donate to go to aiding animals. If PETA didn't spend that money on aiding animals, the people who want to donate to that cause would find a different group. I think you are free to donate your money to whoever you choose, but you really can't complain how others donate their money. It is, after all, their money.
Posted by Bill B.  on  Fri Oct 29, 2004  at  03:46 PM
'I think it's weird that anyone (Canadian, American, Natives) would go to so much trouble for an ANIMAL.'

I think it's your choice what you spend your money on and if you think it's a waste fair enough. However, I think that animals are important, and the majority of pet owners would spend a lot of money on their 'furry friends' so why not help out ones that need it also but do not have as caring owners?
Posted by amy  on  Mon Nov 15, 2004  at  11:51 AM
The picture is real. The fight to return this endangered animal to his pod is real too. Luna is not and never has been a captive whale. PETA is not involved nor contributing to this campaign in any way.
Posted by Luna's Friend  on  Fri Feb 18, 2005  at  08:18 PM
I have some sad news regarding Henry the dog in the photo, he has just passed away due to cancer, he was quite a character and afraid of nothing.
He will be missed...
Posted by padego  on  Sat Jul 02, 2005  at  08:14 PM
My best friend used to live in gold river, we just were down last week. Luna the male killer whale is facing big issues. There are many people wanting to kill him, which i think is dumb. He has been causing alot of damage on Nookta sound. He has riped out water lines to cabins and destroyed many boats. I do not beleive he wants to join his pod, as hes been spoted hanging around with another female whale, but as she gos on her way he just comes back. If the people are not alowed to give him the attention he wants hes just going to destroy more things to get it. Was he this big of a problem when you were allowed to pet him or interact with him? No he wasn't. I think that the fisheries have to re-think that plan of not allowing interaction with the whale, he wants it and if he gets it he ain't gonna be causing as many prpblems. I know that I do not want to see him killed or transported to some aquarium. So something has to be done differently, now before we all regret it.
Posted by Beth-Ann  on  Tue Aug 16, 2005  at  11:28 PM
ok Well i have had a few minor run ins with luna the killer whale. I love him to death and i think on of the major things we as people haft to realize is that its his water. Since when can the government or anyone else for that matter tell a fish where it can swim i think its crap. he should be able to swim wherever whenever he damn well pleases. Now with that not i think people know hes there and they know what he has done and can do so i think maybe they should just be more cautious. Thank you very much Meggan
Posted by Meggan  on  Thu Sep 15, 2005  at  09:05 PM
Hey guys,

I came across this site when I was just surfing the internet and was touched by the story of Luna. I think it's wonderful that people are taking measures to preserve the environment and ensure a good quality of life for these beautiful, highly intelligent whales. It's definitely well worth it!

Keep up the good work
Posted by Chelsea  on  Thu Jan 19, 2006  at  12:44 PM
Hi there.

Whoever said "would go to so much trouble for an ANIMAL" well, i take it you aren't a huge animal person in this lifetime. Luna is an animal yes, and a sweet one. How would you feel if you were abandoned by your family and left with no one to turn to? Luna seems like such a brave orca...interacting with humans and boats. You know how hard that would be for any other orca? Luna has faced many obstacles. Yes, people have been wanting to kill him but he IS an ANIMAL and he has a life on the earth for a reason. The waters of the world are his home, so stop polluting it. I'm a huge animal lover especially marine animals. and for you to say "oh they are going through all this trouble for an animal" well DUH they are!! He is a part of this world just as much as you are. Have some decency and respect.
Posted by Tava  on  Sat Mar 11, 2006  at  01:46 AM
Regretfully, I am saddened and shocked to break this terrible news to fans of Luna the whale...


As it appears, there was a terrible and tragic accident relating the beloved and endeared Killer Whale- Luna- who passed away suddenly on March, 10th, 2006, A result of a collision with a tug boat.
in the Nootka Sound-
Posted by sterobiomace713  on  Sat Mar 11, 2006  at  05:58 PM
Yes, he was hit by a boat propeller:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4796106.stm
Posted by Accipiter  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  01:33 AM
Fuck U... that post is scarcasm in case you're too retarded?
Posted by sterobiomace713  on  Sat Mar 25, 2006  at  02:09 PM
get a f*ckin life sterobiomace713, it doesnt sound sarcastic how n the hell would u an unless u r meagan, i actually care bout animals and "meagen" has put ^ other evil messages so f u
Posted by vurb  on  Wed Mar 29, 2006  at  08:40 PM
Maegan said that she thinks it's strange that we often spend more time and effort on animals than we do on our own children. What's so bad about having that opinion? It's not like she's saying that we should be cruel to animals or anything like that.

And why don't you people calm down a bit?
Posted by Accipiter  on  Wed Mar 29, 2006  at  09:07 PM
fine fine ppl can have an oppinion but animals have feelings and ppl r animals 2 just so u ppl no, we r mamals same as a dog or cat
Posted by vurb  on  Thu Mar 30, 2006  at  06:42 AM
It's spelled 'mammals', not 'mamals'. No, I'm not Meagan, and I don't know Meagan, but her post, is obviously ancient history, way too old to be coming off like some circus-starved chimpanzee.. Btw- for how you talk... That I want to say to your face-
'u r the stewpid 1' it's ppl like you, oh and- the ppl who host this picture (of the whale and dog) btw are; one of the main reasons why the whale is now dead. This site did nothing in aiding to the safety or benefit of Luna, whose MOH staff- - only care about the amount of web site hits in return the site receives, IMHO- this site is comparable to a flea circus and that site staff were reluctant enough to hold out letting the public have unlimited access to the above picture.

Not only that MOH staff could care less about what they provide here with pictures as a novelty, they recklessly and inadvertantly harmed one of the most 'supposed-to-be' protected animals on the face of the planet this is not Barnum's and Bailey or the Shriner's we're talking here it's the fact- they did nothing about contributing to the safety or delicate balance of whlaes living creatures amongst a seemingly unbalanced, Canadian oceanic environment whether politics or bureaucracy played a function. One of the things that pisses me off the most that MOH were stingy in letting the public directly link this picture from their site.

"The evil messages"
Your point is once again invalid, and you ought to consider seeking some professional help for your retardedness- spaz.
Posted by sterobiomace713  on  Sun Apr 02, 2006  at  12:49 PM
*Sigh*

I wish you could all get her name right. It's M-A-E-G-A-N, not M-e-a-g-a-n.
Posted by Smerk  on  Sun Apr 02, 2006  at  06:35 PM
Sterobiomace, you're not making much sense. The MOH is in no way responsible for what happened to the orca. There is no MOH "staff", it's owned and run by one guy (Alex Boese) out in San Diego. And how did he "recklessly" harm Luna? He first posted this article about it years after Luna first appeared. And he had nothing to do with all the people lobbying to get Luna taken away, or with the people lobbying to keep Luna there, or with the boat that hit Luna. What was he supposed to do? Give up his job and family, go up to Canada and swim alongside Luna for several years firing torpedoes at any boat that came near?

Alex posted a topic about this whale simply because there was some question over whether that picture he included was real or not. That's the point of this place: to report on hoaxes, or to show that things thought to be hoaxes are actually real. I think you're getting confused about things.
Posted by Accipiter  on  Tue Apr 04, 2006  at  09:59 PM
The Ghost of Luna's Revenge.
Yer right, I have no grounds to blame, MOH or it's founder, but that I've really taken a superstitious approach to why this had ultimately became of the whale. And I had fun doing it while it lasted... Seriously, no.

I am glad you people had some idea to the entire scope of this dynamic creature, seeing how most of which I've felt towards the Whale, much as would be considered my superstition similar to that such as the natives- if you were paying any attention to the news of the whale? Indians- Had thought he (Luna) was the Tribe Elder who had passed on.. Just in case? (Most definitely you did know this info..)

Yes, without sense, that it could be easily construed more-so as me randomly blaming 'Alex' for the boat that sucked him through the intake of the engine, and making no sense- wise as you, me or anybody, did anything to help this situation- somebody else had a bad feeling about this on this thread. As a future event (an all actual likelyhood- probalby won't but remember)as I profoundly calling myself a whale activist to prevent something like this ever happening again, I hope that inside and out of this site people understand these are rare creatures, that may not make it through the rest of our life times and into extinction?

You can see that I am still venting about this...

Much as I'd like to add, that this whale 'Luna' did see a vegence something that sank a ship (a first in the history of BC Ferry history) 12 days later.

Which hit a rock during midnight- right at the mouth of a place called 'Whale Channel'.

Oddly- for a hoax, the BC FERRIES website hosted the boat that sank- 'QUEEN OF THE NORTH'

Was proud in posting a banner for this ship that had shown, (or possibly still shows) Orca's...


All I know now, the rest of the province is now paying higher than average gas taxes. (The highest in N.A.= 3.78 Litres/Gal. 3.78x1.109= $4.20 US per gal.

Which is no (if you were to ask me- IMO) 'Hoax' at all in BC. :0

*Venting deep breath, sigh. Deep breath, sigh*

You think it will be okay if I copy the picture of the Dog and Luna? I think I am going to go out and sell copies of them to make paying for gas a little easier on the pocket funds... Der.. YAH!
BC FERRY SCHEDULE
Posted by sterobiomace713  on  Wed Apr 05, 2006  at  12:54 AM
Hey everyone....i am a firstnations from the west coast, and all tha good things said really mean a lot to me, really touching. I am not from Goldriver, but tha whole thing is sad...and what happened to luna hurt not only me but half us BC i guess. yeah Luna was only a whale, but a recarnation of tha Chief(Maguinna). i love tha picture above...it is so cute! im sad i never got to meet Luna in person...i've seen pictures all over the web. Everyone other than tha Mowachat/Mchalaht made it hard to keep Luna on tha Westcoast...and that sucked.
Posted by Emma  on  Thu Sep 28, 2006  at  03:11 PM
I just watched a documentary on Luna. I remember it happening, but to think that that old grey haired son of . . . wanted to shoot Luna because his prop on his little sail boat was damaged is ridiculous. He wanted to press charges. Are you kidding me old man. Get a life. I hate old people that have nothing better to do with their time than bitch. Shut up, move on enjoy life for what it is. Too bad that whale didn't open up a can of whoopass on you. Rubbish.

Thanks.

Damon
Posted by Damon Pallan  on  Mon Nov 01, 2010  at  11:50 PM
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