How the orca capturing did happen
(from the words of the one of participants, who wanted to remain unknown)
We made ten unsuccessful attempts to encircle different orca groups in Avacha Gulf, but each time they easily escaped. And in that day I was sure that we wouldn’t catch them. It was in Avacha Gulf near Sabotagnaya Bay. Small orca group moved slowly to the south from Cape Opasny towards Girovaya Bay. There were seven animals, but we decided to risk in defiance of the rules of capturing. Orcas were feeding and didn’t pay attention to the vessel. We outwitted them – we made several circles to lull their vigilance, and after that started the encircling. In the last moment we have found out that there are more then twenty orcas inside the net, but encircling was already finished. Till the last moment I was sure that they will escape again. Animals rushed about inside the net. After several minutes of confusion adults moved towards the stern and began to escape over the net. They did it in amazing way: orca came right up to the floats, and then rolled over its back, upside down. In the same time young animals dashed to the ship rostrum and tried to force through. One small animal was entangled. Its pectoral fin got stick between the float and steel rope on the top of the net. Orca tossed about, it was necessary to untangle it. But the divers, considered to be the heroes before, in practice didn’t dare to dive. We nearly have to drive them into the water. All this have taken some time. Then at last they untangled it and lifted it up to the deck. And only while lifting the net we have found another animal, which entangled in the net on the depth. He was also the young one, smaller than captured animal. Being busy with the first one, we didn’t notice another and it drowned. We took genetic samples from the died orca, but didn’t lift it up to the deck. We didn’t want to spare time because we should save the captured orca. So we cut the net and let off the corpse.