How Would You Save Luna?

Last weekend, I watched a compelling documentary that I haven't been able to get off my mind. It brought up a lot of questions for me about humans relationship with wild animals, and where/if we should draw the line.

Saving Luna follows the story of a lonely orca whale who was either lost or abandoned by his pod in a logging bay off the coast of Nova Scotia. Clearly yearning for social contact, Luna approached the boats, impressing everyone with his chutzpah. He would nose right up to them and nod his head encouragingly for pats, and even play tug of war or fetch with cedar sticks he found floating in the water. He also enjoyed being sprayed with water or getting his tongue rubbed. When the summer visitors came to the bay, Luna became the center of attention and seemed to revel in his popularity.

Soon, people became worried about Luna—for his own safety and the safety of others. Because he swam so close to the boats, what if he unintentionally knocked over a kayak or got too close to a boat's propeller? The question of what to do about Luna became one that divided the Department of Fisheries, First Nation leaders, marine biologists, tourists, politicians, and anyone else who had met the baby whale.

The Canadian Department of Fisheries thought that human contact would just encourage Luna to stay in the bay and pose a risk to himself and the summer tourists. However, when one group wanted to relocate Luna to the area where his pod might be, officials were skeptical that this would even work and denied permission. Instead, they told people to ignore Luna for his own good or recieve a hefty fine. This policy was impossible to enforce, as many saw how much Luna craved interaction and thought it cruel to deprive him of it. Officials dismissed this as anthropomorphizing. For years, no one could agree and Luna remained in the waters of Nova Scotia seeking social contact, but sometimes meeting up with the wrong people. One man threatened to shoot him when he discovered his fishing boat was damaged.

Interestingly, Saving Luna does not take sides. When asked what the message of his documentary is, filmmaker Michael Parfit said:

"A lot of people ask Suzanne and me that. But we don’t think of SAVING LUNA as a message film. It’s a story film. It isn’t trying to tell people what to think. We made it because we went through an amazing story with a wonderful character, and we want everybody to experience the story and get to know the character."

What do you think about the barrier between humans and wild animals? Is it ever ok to cross the line? How would you have saved Luna?