A bloated and badly injured sea otter that may have been struck by a boat off the coast of Tofino is now recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Vancouver.
Corky, named after the way he was floating when he was found, was discovered near Vargas Island “acting very oddly," according to Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
The cute creature was visibly puffy and floating very high in the water when spotted by several sources including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which reported it to the rescue centre.
“We think that we have a working diagnosis and that’s blunt force trauma that fractured a rib,” Haulena said, adding that a boat may have struck the mammal.
Corky may have been healing by the time he was found, but gas trapped in his thorax moved underneath his skin to cause a condition known as subcutaneous emphysema.
That rendered him bloated and unable to dive for food. It likely would’ve led to his death by starvation, according to Haulena.
A team of rescuers lifted Corky from the water and brought him to the rescue centre, where he faces a long road to recovery.
“We’re hoping that the worst of the trauma for him is over and the road to healing has begun,” Haulena said. “Unfortunately it’s not always a simple story, so we’re going to continue our diagnostics looking for other problems.”
He said he’s hoping Corky’s health problems will be resolved over the coming weeks, and that the animal can be released back into the wild.
The final decision of whether or not to release him will be made by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The rescue operation was also aided by Orca Airways, the Tofino Coast Guard, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society and BC Ferries.
