On January 9, researchers reported the tragic loss of a newborn orca, known as J61, observed in Puget Sound, Washington. This incident marks another instance of mourning for Tahlequah, an endangered orca who previously garnered attention in 2018 for carrying her deceased calf for over two weeks.
J35, as Tahlequah is also known, was seen pushing her deceased calf's body, weighing approximately 136 kilograms, to keep it close and prevent it from drifting away. Researchers noted that the calf lived for only a handful of days after its initial sighting on December 20.
Michael Weiss, director of research at the Whale Research Center, confirmed that J35 displayed profound maternal instincts, similar to her behavior in 2018. During that time, she carried another dead calf for 17 days and traveled over 1,600 kilometers.
The mortality rate for orca calves is notably high, with only about one in five pregnancies resulting in a calf that survives its first year. The southern resident orca population, which has been struggling for decades, now consists of only 73 individuals, facing challenges such as prey scarcity and environmental threats.
In a glimmer of hope, another calf, J62, has been observed alive, providing a small but significant positive note for the endangered southern resident orca population.