# Awww. Luna the Orca Whale Died. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2006, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918 "2006-03-11T06:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918/1 "2006-03-11T06:25:27Z")
This article says it is believed it was Luna who had died. It must have been confirmed since it was published because I just heard about it on the local news. [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3715836.html](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3715836.html) > [@](#): > > Luna, the orphaned whale believed by local aboriginal people to be the reincarnation of their late chief, died after being struck by a tugboat on the west coast of Vancouver Island, officials said Friday March 10, 2006. Luna loved to approach boats and watch the people watching him. There were plans to relocate him to Puget Sound where his own pod usually roams in hopes that he’d learn to hang out with other whales instead of humans. A local Nootka Sound tribe objected though and the plans were never put in place. Luna was believed to be around six years old. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918/2 "2006-03-11T07:54:27Z")
“Shortly after Luna’s death, Japanese fishing vessels were suspiciously seen in the vicinity…” ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918/3 "2006-03-11T09:08:53Z")
> [@Tikki](#): > > This article says it is believed it was Luna who had died. It must have been confirmed since it was published because I just heard about it on the local news. > > [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3715836.html](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3715836.html) > > Luna loved to approach boats and watch the people watching him. There were plans to relocate him to Puget Sound where his own pod usually roams in hopes that he’d learn to hang out with other whales instead of humans. A local Nootka Sound tribe objected though and the plans were never put in place. > > Luna was believed to be around six years old. I read about it this afternoon. It’s sad, but unfortunately it was probably inevitable, given his fondness for boats. Poor Luna. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918/4 "2006-03-12T06:09:07Z")
Very sad - and frustrating - because he would have had a much better chance of survival if the Natives had allowed him to be relocated. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awww-luna-the-orca-whale-died/347918/5 "2006-03-12T06:49:09Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Very sad - and frustrating - because he would have had a much better chance of survival if the Natives had allowed him to be relocated. > > ☹ Indeed. They said he was the reincarnation of their chief. Maybe had they let their chief go, he wouldn’t have to go through that whole reincarnation hassle again.