Separated from his family when he was just two years ancient, this orca whale lived alone off the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. There, in 2001, Luna became known for interacting with community boaters.
The incredible video above captures Luna swimming fair following to a boat and mimicking boat noises. Luna’s sounds are nearly indistinguishable from those of the boat’s engine.
Video ABOVE courtesy of TheWhaleMovie.com
Here’s another video of Luna playing with a boat motor:
In 2006, Luna was tragically killed in a tugboat collision. He later became the subject of the 2007 documentary “Saving Luna.” And he will be the subject of the upcoming documentary “The Whale.” The Huffington Advertise recently interviewed the fresh film’s co-directors.
There is an ongoing debate about how close boats should get to whales. On one palm, many human beings desire to go whale watching, and others must fish and travel by boat. On the other palm, sea traffic can disturb and much kill whales.
According to the Telegraph, a 2006 study found that “the approach of boats disturbed the animals to such an extent that they decreased their aliment intake by up to 18 percent.” According to TZNZ, researchers in Fresh Zealand found that “14 endangered Bryde’s whales found dead in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf in recent years were killed by boats.”
CORRECTION: A previous version stated that the whale was killed in 2007. He was really killed in March 2006.
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