Luna the orca struck and killed by tug propeller

GOLD RIVER, British Columbia – Luna, the juvenile killer whale from Washington state waters who got lost in Canada's Nootka Sound five years ago, apparently died today when he was accidentally struck by a tugboat propeller, Canadian authorities said.

Luna, known to scientists as L-98 and a member of one of Washington state's three resident orca pods, or family groups, wandered into Nootka Sound on the west side of Vancouver Island in 2001 and stayed. "We don't know 100 percent but we do believe it's Luna," said spokeswoman Lara Sloan with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

No other orcas were know to frequent the sound, she said.

The boat had pulled into sheltered waters near Conception Point to escape rough weather. Luna, known to enjoy playing in boat wakes, "was swimming under the vessel and was hit by a propeller," Sloan said.

"It was a really big tugboat — 104 feet," she said.

Although the whale was friendly, he became a nuisance to marine traffic in the area and an attempt was made in 2004 to reunite him with his pod in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which separates Washington state from Vancouver Island.

"The skipper is reported to be greatly distressed," Sloan said. "He called the coast guard immediately after it happened."