THEN NOW MOBY DOLL ORCA SYMPOSIUM :REFLECTIONS ON CHANGE SATURNA ISLAND MAY 24 26,2013 PHOTO: MILES RITTER Moby Doll s brief life in captivity nearly 50 years ago triggered a series of fascinating events that resulted in profound changes in the relationship between humans and orcinus orca. It s a whale of a tale, and it all began on Saturna Island. 50 YEARS
AN ACCIDENTAL INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SUPER-STAR Moby Doll was harpooned at East Point, Saturna Island in July 1964 but the shot was supposed to end with a kill, not a capture. The Vancouver Aquarium wanted a dead killer whale for study and to model for a large sculpture that was to hang in the new aquarium s foyer. The harpooned whale was only injured, however, and Vancouver Aquarium director Dr. Murray Newman quickly decided to lead the wounded orca to Vancouver Harbour for study. Moby Doll thus became the first killer whale to be captured and displayed in public but the orca survived for just under three months. However, during that brief time, Moby Doll became an international media super-star. Life Magazine, Reader s Digest, The Times of London, major television networks as well as many Canadian newspapers, magazines and television stations, sent reporters and correspondents to Vancouver to tell this whale of a tale to world-wide audiences. More importantly, Moby Doll s capture marked the beginning of a world-wide scientific quest to learn more about orcas. And today, because we know so much more about this beautiful, majestic animal, we re well on our way to making sure that orcas continue to thrive in their natural habitats and thrill many of our future generations.
MOBY DOLL ORCA SYMPOSIUM:REFLECTIONS ON CHANGE Moby Doll s brief life in captivity nearly 50 years ago triggered a complex and fascinating sequence of events which profoundly changed the relationship between humans and orcinus orca. To acknowledge that past, celebrate the present and ensure its future development two dedicated community groups the Saturna Heritage Committee and the Saturna Island Marine Research & Education Society are hosting this very special event. PROGRAMME Friday, May 24th Saturna s local Lighthouse Pub hosts Orca Night Saturday, May 25th all events at Saturna Recreation Centre 8:30 am Doors Open Early morning mingle, coffee + muffins available, displays open for viewing 9:00 10:00 am Registration Open Pre-register please at saturnaheritage.ca 10:00 am WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Richard Blagborne Symposium Convenor 10:15 12:15 pm MORNING SESSION 12:15 1:00 pm LUNCH catered by Wild Thyme 1:00 2:45 pm AFTERNOON SESSION ONE Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard Head Cetologist at Vancouver Aquarium Dr. Dr. Ken Balcomb Director of the Friday Harbor Whale Research Center and foremost expert on the Southern Resident Pods 2:45pm 3:00 pm AFTERNOON BREAK 3:00pm - 4:45 pm AFTERNOON SESSION TWO 5:30 pm VISIT TO EAST POINT BLUFFS Tour bus and car pool depart for a walking tour with Josef Bauer who was part of the 1964 expedition that captured Moby Doll. Saturna Heritage Centre in the Fog Alarm Building will be open. 6:45 pm Bus and car pool return to Rec Centre EVENING ENTERTAINMENT at Saturna Recreation Centre 6:30 pm DRINKS Cash Bar 7:30 pm DINNER catered by chef Hubertus Surm Dr. Murray Newman Past-Director of the Vancouver Aquarium, Curator in 1964, commissioned the expedition, attended the capture and oversaw Moby Doll s captivity Dr. Patrick McGeer International scientist and B.C. politician, as a UBC Professor of Neurology and Aquarium Board Member, also attended the capture, helped care for Moby Doll and performed the autopsy. Dr. Kathy Heise Research Associate at Vancouver Aquarium with an expertise in whaling history and cetacean echolocation. Dr. John K. Ford Head of the Cetacean Research Program, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Research Station, Nanaimo Dr. Peter Ross Former head of Marine Mammal Toxicology, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Sidney 4:45 5:15 pm PANEL SESSION All speakers available for questions 5:15 pm CLOSING REMARKS Richard Blagborne 8:00 pm SPY HOP Live Music and Dance Memories of You Barry Gough Jazz Quartet Sunday, May 26th at East Point, Gulf Island National Park Reserve 1:00 pm FOG ALARM BUILDING Official 2013 Season Opening Ceremony TICKET PRICES Symposium: $25.00 Lunch: $10.00 Dinner & Entertainment: $30.00 pre-register at www.saturnaheritage.ca or call Sheila Wallace at 250-539-5991
OUR PRESENTERS + SPECIAL GUESTS 50 YEARS Dr. Murray Newman As a boy in Chicago, he kept tropical fish and from that point forward Dr. Newman s life, the oceans and marine science were permanently woven into a singularly accomplished career. He graduated from the University of Chicago in zoology, served three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the South Pacific, returned to his studies at the University of California at Berkeley and came to Vancouver in 1953 for doctoral studies at the University of B.C. It was here on the B.C. west coast that Dr. Newman made his mark. Hired as the founding director of the Vancouver Aquarium in 1955, he held that high-profile post for the next 38 years while building the aquarium into a world-recognized public facility and research organization. In 1995, the Murray A. Newman Award was created in his honour and is given annually in recognition of significant aquatic research and conservation work in British Columbia. It was Dr. Newman who in 1964 commissioned the Moby Doll Expedition and, on the day of the harpooning, he immediately flew to Saturna Island s East Point Lighthouse. He quickly saw the many scientific benefits of bringing the wounded whale to Vancouver for study. During Moby Doll s short life in captivity, Dr. Newman says he became very attached emotionally to the magnificent animal. Dr. Patrick McGeer Well known as both a scientist specializing in neurological research and a long-serving provincial politician, Dr. McGeer was part of the Vancouver Aquarium research team that took part in the Moby Doll capture off Saturna Island s East Point in 1964. Much of Dr. McGeer s research has been done at the University of B.C. s School of Medicine and he served as an MLA for several Social Credit provincial governments from 1962 to 1986. He also served in cabinet for 10 of those years and his portfolios included education, universities, science, communications and international trade. He graduated with honours in chemistry from UBC in 1948, received his PhD in chemistry from Princeton University in 1951 and his MD from UBC in 1958. Dr. Kenneth Balcomb This highly-influential U.S. scientist has been studying the Southern Resident Orcas since the 1970 s. He s Executive Director of the non-profit Whale Research Centre on San Juan Island, he founded the WRC in 1985. He s a pioneer in photo-identification of cetaceans and also founded Orca Survey, a study of Pacific Northwest killer whales, in 1976. Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard He s the current head cetologist at Vancouver Aquarium, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Zoology and has been an active collaborator in ongoing studies of behaviour and population of killer whales in B.C. and Alaska since 1984. Some of his findings recently served as a basis for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada s listing of southern resident killer whales as an endangered population. Josef Bauer He was part of the expedition to capture Moby Doll in 1964. He spent 3 months camped on Saturna along with Sam Burich (deceased), the sculptor. Michelle Bigg Michelle is the daughter of Michael Bigg (deceased) who was one of the most influential marine scientists during the early years following Moby Doll s capture. One of his breakthroughs was discovering how to identity individual orcas via the unique shape of their huge dagger-shaped dorsal fins. Michelle will be in attendence at the Moby Doll Symposium. Graeme Ellis He has been actively involved in the long-term study of killer whales in the northeast Pacific since 1973, when he started working for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Graeme is actively involved in orca population monitoring and studying aspects of their diet, distribution, genetics and contaminant levels. Graeme has co-authored books several books about killer whales with John Ford and Kenneth Balcomb. Dr. John K. Ford He joined Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2001 as head of the Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Zoology and the Fisheries Centre at the University of B.C. Dr. Ford s areas of research include the life history, ecology, behaviour and acoustic communications of cetaceans especially killer whales. Dr. Kathy Heise She began her involvement in cetacean research over 25 years ago as a lightkeeper, listening for the sounds of killer whales using a permanently-mounted hydrophone. She returned to UBC to study the ecology of Pacific whitesided dolphins. Kathy is interested in the resident dolphins in the Strait of Georgia, particularly their foraging behaviour and prey choice. She is a Research Associate at the Vancouver Aquarium. Dr. Peter Ross He is the former head of Marine Mammal Toxicology at Fisheries and Oceans Institute of Ocean Sciences at Sidney, B.C. He has active research programs on the effects of persistent environmental contaminants on the health of marine mammals and the sources, movement and fate of persistent environmental contaminants in marine food chains. An Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University, Dr. Ross obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences at Utrecht University in The Netherlands.
TRAVEL + ACCOMMODATIONS Coming to Saturna Island requires some advance planning. OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS Ferry services and accommodations are good, but limited. Access the B&B, rental cabins and lodge listings which Please keep this in mind as you plan your visit. can be found at www.saturnatourism.com where about a TRAVEL BY FERRY dozen options will be found. Should you have any difficulty BC Ferries schedules can be found at www.bcferries.com. in finding accommodation please call Amanda Money at TRAVEL BY FLOAT PLANE 250-539-2120 for assistance. Saturna is serviced by several float plane operators. DAYTRIPPERS Seair Seaplanes regular scheduled flights and charters It is possible to attend as a daytripper from Vancouver out of Vancouver Airport south riverside. Island by departing Swartz Bay ferry terminal at 8:15 1-800-447-3247 www.seairseaplanes.com am Saturday morning, arriving at Saturna at 9:45 am. Harbour Air charters only from Vancouver Coal Symposium will start at 10 am. Transportation from the Harbour 1-800-665-0212 ferry to the venue will be provided, so it is not necessary to Pat Bay Air charters only from Victoria Airport bring a vehicle. The evening return ferry departs at 8:50 pm 1-866-654-0646 arriving back in Swartz Bay at 10 pm. It will be possible to Kenmore Air charters only from Seattle>Victoria> enjoy the planned evening dinner before transportation to Saturna 1-800-543-9595 the ferry departs. TRAVEL BY BOAT PASSENGER SERVICE FOOD SERVICES express passenger service from White Rock to Saturna Lighthouse Pub at the ferry dock by Discover Sea Tours 1-877-979-4253 Saturna Café at the Saturna General Store www.discoverseatours.ca Wild Thyme Coffee House double decker bus close TRAVEL BY PRIVATE BOAT to the ferry dock Dock moorage available at the Government Dock next to BC Ferries Terminal, where marine fuel is available or Business services are limited on the island. Saturna Money Marina 250-539-2975 or 250-539-2255 General Store and Saturna Point Store provide groceries, Anchor-out at Winter Cove or Lyall Harbour provisions and free wifi, bank machine and fuel. PHOTO: Maureen welton, sunrise over saturna