A necropsy is being performed on a dead southern resident orca that was discovered yesterday off Vancouver Island.
Large crowds gathered at Bates Beach as a team of experts examined the remains of the killer whale, identified as J-32 and nicknamed Rhapsody. Scientists found a fetus among the remains, confirming that Rhapsody was pregnant at the time she perished. Researchers say it is not uncommon for orcas to die during childbirth.
A former DFO employee who owns a resort nearby towed the animal to shore so officials could examine it.
The whale was one of only a handful of southern resident orcas left off the coast of B.C.
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-with files from Peter Meiszner
PHOTO GALLERY: Dead orca whale at Bates Beach on Vancouver Island (WARNING: Graphic images)
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