A mosaic has mysteriously appeared at an Oak Bay beach with a sombre message: Whales R Wailing.
The mosaic appears to depict orca J35 carrying her dead calf, however the artist has yet to be identified to confirm that.
J35, one of only 74 remaining southern resident orcas, gave birth to a calf on July 24 just off Victoria’s Clover Point. The calf died shortly after birth and J35 garnered international attention for what scientists have called a mourning ritual, involving carrying her dead calf over 1,500 kilometres over a period of nearly three weeks.
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Oak Bay residents have noticed the new addition to the walkway along McNeil Bay, but it remains a mystery when and who created the work.
keri.coles@oakbaynews.com
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