A hefty fine has been handed to a Vancouver film company for operating a drone too close to killer whales.
An investigation by a fishery officer found River Road Films Ltd. operated a drone too close to northern resident killer whales on Vancouver Island in August 2021. Northern resident killer whales will head to shallow waters near the shore and brush against the smooth pebbles below to scrape off dead skin. DFO says this strengthens family bonds and feels like a massage.
"Both the film company and the drone operator are first-time offenders,” says a spokesperson with DFO. In 2020, River Roads Film Ltd. and the sister company United Kingdom applied for a DFO permit to film Species at Risk Act such as Killer Whales for a documentary. This application was denied and not approved.