Orca who carried her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles has a new baby

An orca who made headlines in 2018 after she carried her dead calf on her head for more than two weeks and a distance of 1,000 miles has given birth again, according to the Center for Whale Research.

The killer whale calf was spotted in the Puget Sound area off Washington state several days ago. On Tuesday, the center determined J35, also known as Tahlequah, was the baby’s mother. The calf, a girl, was given the designation J61.

It’s not all good news for the mom and baby though. 

“The team, including multiple experienced killer whale researchers, have 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 a very high mortality rate in the first year. J35 is an experienced mother, and we hope that she is able to keep J61 alive through these difficult early days.”

The organization, which tracks southern resident orca populations in the Pacific Northwest, did not specify 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 has been able to spend time on the water with the calf and they observed the baby “remaining underwater for extended amounts of time indicating nursing or attempts to nurse.”

“The calf had also been observed being pushed around on J35’s head and was not looking lively, which is a concern, but also added calf behavior is not fully understood,” Orca Conservancy wrote.

Tahlequah also gave birth to a calf in 2020. Experts at the time described it as big news, because up to 70% of orca pregnancies end with a either a miscarriage or a calf that dies shortly after birth.

Southern resident killer whales, like Tahlequah, are the only endangered population of killer whales in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The summer population census for 2020 counted only 72 southern resident killer whales, though several calves have been born since the census. Though a recovery plan was completed in 2008, the population continues to struggle and has declined over 10% since 2005. 

“The Southern Resident killer whale population needs ample access to their food supply, mainly 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 continue to advocate for salmon recovery through habitat restoration, removal of dams, and rational management of fisheries in the Pacific Northwest.”