An orca that made headlines in 2018 took away his dead calf After more than two weeks on her head and a journey of 1,000 miles, she has given birth again, according to the Center for Whale Research.
the killer whale was a calf spotted several days ago in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. On Tuesday, the center determined that J35, also known as Tahlequah baby mamaThe calf, a girl, was given the designation J61.
However this is not good news for mother and baby.
“The team, including several experienced killer whale researchers, has expressed concern about the calf's health based on the behavior of both J35 and J61,” the Center for Whale Research wrote in a Facebook post. “Early life is always dangerous for new calves, with very high mortality rates in the first year. J35 is an experienced mother, and we hope she is able to keep J61 alive through these difficult early days.”
The organization, which monitors the southern resident orca population in the Pacific Northwest, did not say what caused the concern. seattle based Orca Conservancy Wrote on social media that researchers believe the calf was born prematurely. The Orca Conservancy said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was able to spend time on the water with the calf and that they observed the baby “remain underwater for extended periods of time indicating feeding or attempted feeding.”
“The calf was also seen being pushed around on J35's head and did not appear lively, which is a concern, but the calf's behavior is also not fully understood,” Orca Conservancy wrote. “
Tahlequah too gave birth to To a calf in 2020. Experts at the time called this big news, as up to 70% of orca pregnancies end with either a miscarriage or a calf that dies shortly after birth.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, southern resident killer whales, such as Tahlequah, are the only endangered population of killer whales in the Americas. The 2020 summer population census counted only 72 Southern Resident killer whales, although several calves have been born since the census. Although the recovery plan was completed in 2008, the population is still struggling and decline of more than 10% since 2005.
“The Southern Resident killer whale population needs adequate access to their food supply, primarily salmon, to survive and thrive,” the Center for Whale Research wrote in a Facebook post. “Every single birth counts and these whales need enough fish to be able to support themselves and their calves. We are working on habitat restoration, removal of dams, and rational management of fisheries in the Pacific Northwest We continue to advocate for salmon recovery through.”