An endangered orca from the Pacific Northwest that gained global attention in 2018 for carrying her deceased calf for over two weeks is repeating the heartbreaking behavior once again after the death of her new calf. Researchers have noted that this act is another display of grief over the loss of offspring.
The mother orca, known as Tahlequah or J35, has been observed cradling the body of the deceased female calf since Wednesday, according to the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research. The research center expressed deep sadness over this development and promised to provide updates as they become available.
In 2018, J35 was seen pushing her lifeless calf for 17 days, traveling over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers). The calf had passed away shortly after birth, and the mother, along with her close-knit pod of whales, took turns carrying the deceased body.
Recent observations by the research center revealed the presence of the new calf approximately two weeks ago. However, on Christmas Eve, concerns arose about the calf’s health based on its behavior and that of its mother. By New Year’s Day, officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that J35 was indeed holding onto her calf’s dead body, as reported by Brad Hanson, a research scientist with the federal agency.
Describing the scene he witnessed from a boat on Wednesday, Hanson noted that J35 was cradling the dead calf either on her snout or atop her head, diving for it when it drifted below the surface. The calf was only alive for a few days.
Joe Gaydos, science director of SeaDoc at the University of California, Davis, stated that J35’s actions indicate a process of grieving or mourning, a behavior seen in other socially bonded animals with longevity such as primates and dolphins.
The mortality rate of calves is significant, with only about 1 in 5 orca pregnancies resulting in a calf that survives to its first year. The Center for Whale Research estimates that only 50% of orca calves make it past their first year.
The loss of J35’s calf is described as particularly devastating, not only because the calf could have contributed to the population but also because J35 has now lost two out of her four documented calves.
The southern resident killer whale population, comprising three pods of fish-eating orcas in the waters between Washington state and British Columbia, has been struggling with only 73 remaining individuals. Facing challenges such as a scarcity of their favored prey, Chinook salmon, as well as pollution and vessel noise impacting their hunting, researchers warn of the impending extinction of these orcas.
While other southern resident orcas have been observed carrying dead calves, the length of time that J35 carried her calf in 2018 was unprecedented. In some positive news for the J pod, a new calf, J62, has been sighted alive by officials and scientists.
Southern resident orcas are distinctively endangered and differ from other killer
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