Global News - August 2007
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Oil spill threatens Canadian killer whales
Thu 23 August 2007 13:00 UK — North America
Environmental activists are concerned that the recent diesel spill off Vancouver could threaten the lives of a number of killer whales.
Around 50 killer whales have already swum through the slick since a barge overturned on Monday (August 20th), the Associated Press reports.
A local wildlife expert, Jennifer Lash, told the news agency that the disaster could not have come at a worse time.
Ms Lash added: "This is when there's whales all over the place up here and particularly in that exact spot."
John Ford, a federal fisheries researcher and a leading orca expert, explained that the whales were at particular risk from the spill.
He said: "Killer whales, as with other cetaceans, lack a sense of smell, and so they would not be able to detect the presence of diesel through respiring in its vicinity.
"Studies in captivity with dolphins have shown that they typically do not avoid oil when it's present on the water surface, or at least light oil, such as diesel."
Experts are also concerned that the spill could kill off the whales' food supply and cause problems in the future.
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