Killer whales made headlines in 2018 after her carried a dead calf According to the Center for Whale Research, the whale gave birth again after more than two weeks on its head and 1,000 miles away.
The orca calf was discovered a few days ago in the Puget Sound area off the coast of Washington state. On Tuesday, the center determined that J35, also known as Tahlequah, was the baby’s mother. This calf is a girl and has been named J61.
However, it’s not all good news for mothers and babies.
“The team, which included several experienced orca researchers, expressed concern about the health of the calf based on the behavior of both J35 and J61,” the Center for Whale Research wrote in a Facebook post. “The early years of life are always dangerous for newborn calves, and mortality rates in the first year are very high. J35 is an experienced mother and we are confident that she will I hope we can keep the J61 alive for some time.”
The organization, which tracks the southern orca population in the Pacific Northwest, did not say what caused the concern. The Seattle-based killer whale conservation group wrote on social media that researchers believe the calf was born prematurely. Killer whale conservation groups said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was able to spend time in the water with the calf and observed the baby “remaining underwater for extended periods of time indicating breastfeeding or attempts to breastfeed.”
“We are concerned that the calf was being pushed around on J35’s head and did not appear well, but the calf’s behavior is also not fully understood,” the Orca Conservancy wrote. are.
Tahlequah too gave birth Experts at the time called this big news, as up to 70% of killer whale pregnancies end in miscarriage or the calf dying shortly after birth.
Southern killer whales like Tahlequah are the only endangered killer whales in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The summer 2020 census counted only 72 orcas in the Southern Ocean, but several calves have been born since the census. Although the recovery plan was completed in 2008, the population is still struggling and has declined by more than 10% since 2005.
“The southern killer whale population requires adequate access to food supplies, primarily salmon, in order to survive and thrive,” the Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post. “Each calving is precious, and these whales need enough fish to support themselves and their young. We need to restore habitat, remove dams, and streamline fisheries in the Pacific Northwest.” We continue to advocate for the recovery of salmon through sustainable management.
