Killer whale Tahlequah who carried her dead calf for 17 DAYS and more than 1,000 miles in 2018 is pictured with her new baby after giving birth to the healthy animal last week
In 2018, an orca named Tahlequah touched many people’s hearts when she carried her dead calf for 17 days. Now, at 21 years old, she has given birth to a new baby. The baby, named ‘J57’ by researchers, was born on September 4 in US waters. The Whale Research Center says both Tahlequah and her new calf seem healthy, with the baby swimming strongly next to its mom. Tahlequah had another calf in 2010, named ‘J47’ or ‘Notch’, who is still alive today. Unfortunately, she also lost a calf in 2010 and her 2018 calf soon after birth, so experts were worried about this new baby.
Whale watchers noticed Tahlequah’s pregnancy in July when she looked bigger than usual. The Sealife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research group asked people to give Tahlequah and other Southern Resident orcas plenty of space to find food, as every new baby is really important for helping the population grow. When Tahlequah’s new calf, still unnamed, was born between Washington State and Vancouver Island, experts were relieved.
“The researchers were thrilled to see Tahlequah’s new calf looking healthy and active, swimming strongly next to its mom just two days after being born. The center didn’t say if the calf was a boy or girl because they didn’t have enough time to watch closely. They noticed Tahlequah was mostly on her own and trying to avoid being seen as she swam into Canada. So, they left her alone after a short visit, wishing them both well. The researchers couldn’t be sure exactly when the calf was born, but they guessed September 4th because its dorsal fin was already standing up straight when they saw it. They explained that it takes a day or two for the fin to straighten out after being bent inside the womb, so that’s why they picked September 4th as the birthday.”
Tahlequah shot to worldwide fame in 2018 when she carried her stillborn calf for 17 days – and over 1,000 miles – through the Salish Sea off Washington State.
Tahlequah’s story caught the attention of the media and people everywhere because her behavior was seen as a way of expressing grief, which is rare in animals other than humans. This brought focus to the challenges faced by Pacific orcas. Population ecologist John Durban and marine mammal expert Holly Fearnbach have been studying the orcas in Puget Sound for a long time. They use drones flying 100 feet above to check on the health of the whales without bothering them.
Sadly, there are only 72 southern resident whales left in the Pacific, and they’re in danger of disappearing forever. New babies are really important for their survival. Experts say the main problem is not having enough salmon to eat, which makes them hungry and stressed out. Pollution and loud noises underwater also make it hard for them to hunt using sound. Researchers are worried because many of the young whales in the groups are looking skinny, including Tahlequah’s surviving calf, J47.
“Dr. Fearnbach told the Seattle Times that many of the whales are really stressed out. She said the drone study revealed that the whales are scattered in small groups. This shows they’re putting a lot of effort into finding food and not spending as much time hanging out with each other. Both researchers noticed a lot of boats in the area where the whales live during their studies this year. Many of these boats were going too fast, making a lot of noise underwater.”
“Dr. Durban told the Seattle Times that these whales are special and need special care, especially right now when they’re in a tough spot. He said boats should give them plenty of space and keep quiet to help them survive. He said, ‘These whales deserve a chance.’ In recent years, many pregnancies among the whales have failed because they haven’t had enough to eat, and about 40% of baby whales don’t make it. The team explained that now with the new calf in J pod, named J57, the total population is 73. But the official count for July 1 is 72, so they need to check photos to see which whales were alive then. They use the July count to compare with the Northern Resident killer whale population monitored by DFO Canada.”
