A grieving killer whale, known for swimming over 1,000 miles while carrying the body of her dead newborn, has tragically lost another calf and is once again carrying its body.
The Washington state-based Center for Whale Research said the orca, known as Tahlequah, or J35, was spotted in the Puget Sound area with her deceased calf.
Tahlequah is a member of the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population, an ecotype experts fear is on track for extirpation from the Pacific coast.
Killer whale lost at least two calves
The whale gained worldwide attention in 2018 when she carried her deceased calf around the Salish Sea for 17 days, seemingly mourning its loss. She has now lost two of her documented calves, both female. Her first calf, born 14 years ago, is still alive, and her third calf, born in 2020, remains healthy.
Researchers were initially optimistic about Tahlequah’s newest calf, known as J61, but soon suspected the newborn was suffering health problems. “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 centre wrote on 23 December.
The sudden death has left the team “deeply saddened”
“The death of any calf in the [endangered southern resident population] is a tremendous loss, but the death of J61 is particularly devastating, not just because she was a female, who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother J35 who has now lost two out of four documented calves – both of which were female,” the centre wrote.
The discovery of a new calf, J62, however, resulted in “a day of extreme highs and lows”.
Killer whales critically endangered
According to the Guardian, experts say the state of the critically endangered southern resident killer whales reflects an ecosystem in crisis, although there remains debate about the best way to blunt a looming population collapse.
In recent months, conservation groups have called on Canada’s environment minister to issue an emergency order, a rarely used but powerful legal tool used to protect a species on the verge of extirpation.
The powers have only been used twice before: once to save the greater sage-grouse in Alberta, and later on for the protection of the western chorus frog in Quebec.
A recent assessment from various arms of the federal government found the population had dropped to 73 – a figure confirmed by the Centre for Whale Research. There are believed to be only 23 breeding females.
Related: ‘Floating Gold’ Produced by Whales Found on Florida Beach