According to the US, an orca known as Tahlequah (also known as J35) was spotted carrying her dead newborn calf in Seattle’s Puget Sound. Center for Whale Research.
Observed by researchers on New Year’s Day, this is the second time that a killer whale (another name for an orca) Tahlequah has been seen carrying a dead calf. The first instance was in 2018 when she carried her dead calf for 17 days.
“J-35 was seen carrying the carcass of a dead calf,” the center said in a social media post. “This behavior was previously observed by J35 in 2018 when it carried the carcass of its dead calf for 17 days.” This recent loss is Tahlequah’s second of four documented calves.
The Center for Whale Research called the latest loss “particularly devastating.” They are hoping to learn more through continuous observation.
As this tragedy unfolds, another newborn joins Tahlequah’s pod. The calf appears to be healthy and normal, although its gender is currently unknown, the Center for Whale Research said. Tahlequah and its pods are. Southern resident killer whalesan endangered population with only 70 members in three pods. These whales frequent the waters of Puget Sound in the spring and fall. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, their declining populations are attributed to a number of factors, including reduced prey availability and disturbance from marine vessels.