An orca that made headlines in 2018 after carried her dead calf on her head for more than two weeks and over a distance of 1,000 miles, she gave birth again, according to the Center for Whale Research.
The baby killer whale was spotted in the Puget Sound region off the coast of Washington state several days ago. On Tuesday, the center determined that J35, also known as Tahlequah, was the baby’s mother. The calf, a girl, was given the designation J61.
But it’s not all good news for mom and baby.
“The team, including several experienced killer whale researchers, expressed concerns about the calf’s health based on the behavior of J35 and J61,” the Whale Research Center wrote in a Facebook post. “The start of life is always dangerous for new calves, with a very high mortality rate in the first year. J35 is an experienced mother, and we hope she will be able to keep J61 alive during these difficult first days. “
The organization, which tracks southern resident orca populations in the Pacific Northwest, did not say what sparked the concern. Seattle-based Orca Conservancy wrote on social media that researchers believe the calf was born prematurely. Orca Conservancy said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was able to spend time on the water with the calf and observed the baby “remaining underwater for extended periods of time, indicating breastfeeding or attempts to breastfeed.” .
“The calf was also observed pushed on J35’s head and did not appear lively, which is concerning, but the calf’s behavior is also not fully understood,” Orca Conservancy wrote.
Tahlequah too gave birth to a calf in 2020. Experts at the time described it as big news, as up to 70% of orca pregnancies end in either a miscarriage or the death of a calf shortly after time after birth.
Southern resident killer whales, like Tahlequah, make up the only endangered population of killer whales in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The summer 2020 population census counted only 72 southern resident killer whales, although several calves have been born since the census. Although a recovery plan was completed in 2008, the population continues to struggle and has declined by more than 10% since 2005.
“The Southern Resident Killer Whale population requires ample access to its food supply, primarily salmon, to survive and thrive,” the Center for Whale Research wrote in a Facebook post. “Every birth counts and these whales need enough fish to sustain themselves and their young. We continue to advocate for salmon recovery through habitat restoration, dam removal and rational management of fisheries in the northwest Pacific.”
