Tahlequah killer whale that carried dead calf in 'show of pain' gives birth again - but experts are worried

A mother killer whale that carried her dead calf for 17 days in an apparent display of pain has given birth to a new calf, scientists said.

The orca, named Tahlequah and known to researchers as J35, had she carried her dead child for more than 1,000 miles in 2018.

But last Friday, the whale was spotted traveling with a new calf in the Puget Sound waterway off the coast of Washington state, according to the Center for Whale Research.

In a Facebook post, it said a team of researchers was able to spot the calf and confirmed it was female, naming it J61.

But he said the team was concerned about the health of the calf “based on the behavior of both J35 and J61”.

“Early life is always dangerous for new calves, with a very high mortality rate in the first year,” the center said.

“J35 is an experienced mother and we hope she will be able to keep J61 alive through these difficult times.”

In a post on X, the Orca Conservancy said: “The calf was also observed pushed onto J35’s head and did not appear alive, which is a concern.”

He noted that “calf behavior is not fully understood.”

The organization added: “All of this serves as a reminder that in order to have new calves, salmon stocks must recover to levels that help support population growth.”

“Every Birth Matters”

The Center for Whale Research also highlighted the importance of salmon, the whales’ main food source, saying: “The southern resident killer whale population needs ample access to food supplies, mainly salmon, to survive and thrive .

“Every birth counts and these whales need enough fish to support themselves and their calves. We continue to advocate for salmon recovery through habitat restoration, dam removal, and sound management of the Pacific Northwest fishery.”

“Complete shock” at calf sighting

The calf was photographed for the first time by a nature enthusiast and photographer who CNN said: “My first reaction when I saw the calf was total shock.

“I was just looking through my photos to see who the whales were that passed close to the port side of the ferry I was on and noticed a much smaller dorsal (fin) in one of the photos.

“As we ran the series I realized it was a very small calf, much smaller than any of the known young men in the group.

“Based on the size and color of the calf, I could tell it was a new calf and I was traveling with J35, my spark whale, the whale that started my obsession.”