Famous orca mother carrying another dead calf after losing second infant: researchers

A mother killer whale who famously pushed the body of her dead newborn for 17 days in 2018 has lost another calf, and researchers say she is again carrying the body.

The Center for Whale Research says in a New Year’s Day post on social media that the mother known as Tahlequah, or J35, has now lost two of her four documented calves.

The centre had announced on Dec. 21 that the new female calf was travelling with J pod in the Puget Sound area, on the northwest coast of Washington state.

But the organization expressed concern about the calf’s health, and on Wednesday said the calf had died, although a second newborn was also observed with the pod.

The Center for Whale Research says the death of any calf among the endangered southern resident killer whale population is “a tremendous loss,” but the latest is “particularly devastating” because she was a female and because of J35’s history.

It says researchers are “deeply saddened” by the calf’s death.

“The Center for Whale Research has received additional information that as of (Jan. 1), J35 has been seen carrying the body of the deceased calf with her,” it says.

“This behaviour was seen previously by J35 in 2018 when she carried the body of her deceased calf for 17 days.”

The research centre says the sex and mother of the other newborn calf have not yet been identified, but it appears “physically and behaviourally normal.”

Orcas along the West Coast are categorized into three families known as the J, K and L pods, each of which has its own dialect and calls that differ from the others.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada, in consultation with Transport Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, completed an assessment of the southern resident population last year, finding the population had dwindled to 73, with only 23 breeding females.

The Centre for Whale Research also said the population had dipped to 73 in its July 1, 2024, census following the death of two adult male orcas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press