the next day. The operation got underway the next day without incident. Springer was brought north through Puget Sound and Haro Strait, across the border and then to Campbell River, BC, where locals donated hundreds of bags of ice to help keep the orca cool. To keep her skin from drying out or becoming sunburned during the 13-hour journey, Springer was draped with wet cloths and treated with ointment. The catamaran traveled through the Inside Passage to Johnstone Strait, then to Dongchong Bay, and Hanson Island, not far from OrcaLab. The previous day, high-tech hydrophones were installed in Dongchong Bay by David Howitt and Michael Harris, to monitor acoustic interactions between Springer and wild whales. A net pen was in place, filled with wild Pacific salmon caught by local First Nations fishermen under a specially granted fishing permit. As promised, all 73 of the wild salmon caught by the Namgis were physically inspected for metal hooks. When released into the net pen, Springer immediately began feeding on the salmon, spyhopping (raising her head out of the water), breaching, pushing at the net, and calling out loudly to her relative orcas swimming nearby. "She was vigorous and vocalizing and obviously interacting with the other whales. We were listening practically with our mouths hanging open (Saturday) night," said Dr. Spong. Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Senior Marine Mammal Scientist with the Vancouver Aquarium, said that it was clear Springer knew she was home, and that "her calls were so loud they practically blew our earphones off." Life in community At 3:30 p.m. on July 14, Springer's keepers opened the gate on her net pen as other orcas went by, and Springer went "charging off." She swam straight towards the other orcas. First observations appeared to indicate that the operation was exceeding all expectations, that the experiment was a success. However, the reaction of the wild whales to Springer's sudden appearance was initially to bunch together silently, seemingly in confusion. After a few minutes, they swam off, perhaps expecting Springer to follow. She appeared not to be able to keep up. Temporary transmitter devices had been attached to Springer's back with suction cups, designed to fall off after a few days. Scientists and volunteers observed Springer visually. In the first days, she trailed the pod, keeping a distance of about half to three quarters of a mile. Springer's tendency to interact with boats remained a