SEATTLE (AP) – A satellite-linked tag fired into an endangered Puget Sound orca by federal biologists led to a fungal infection that contributed to the whale’s death, federal scientists said Wednesday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries released findings into the death of a 20-year-old whale found dead off Vancouver Island in March with fragments of a dart tag in its dorsal fin. The death prompted the agency in April to temporarily halt its dart-tagging program.
Five weeks before the orca was found dead, researchers used a dart to fire the small satellite-linked transmitters into the animals to track where they go in the winter and how they find food. The transmitter is the size of a 9-volt battery and attaches to the orca’s fin with two titanium darts just over 2 inches long. It’s designed to detach over time and leave nothing behind in the whale.
An examination of the dead animal named L95 concluded that a fungal infection entered the orca’s bloodstream, causing the whale’s death, according to a report released Wednesday. A panel of five outside experts also reviewed and agreed with the findings.
Some advocates have criticized the tagging, saying it injures the orcas and there are less invasive ways to monitor the small population of whales.