The mother killer whale that swam more than 1,600 km carrying her calf’s body has now lost her newborn off the coast of Washington state.
The Washington Center for Whale Research said the killer whale named Tahlequah or J35 was discovered in the Puget Sound area with the dead calf, Guardian reported on January 2. Tahlequah is a member of the critically endangered Southern resident killer whale population that experts fear is on the verge of local extinction in the Pacific coastal region.
Previously, the female killer whale attracted attention in 2018 when she pushed her calf’s carcass around the Salish Sea for 17 days, showing sad behavior. Now, it continues to lose its young for the second time. The first calf that Tahlequah gave birth to 14 years ago is still alive. Her third calf born in 2020 is also healthy.
Initially, researchers were optimistic about Tahlequah’s newest calf, J61, but they quickly suspected it had health problems. The early stages of life are always very dangerous for newborn killer whales, with a very high mortality rate in the first year. Tahlequah is an experienced mother and the research team at the center hopes it can help J61 survive the difficult days. The sudden death of the calf made the group very sad not only because it was female but also because history repeated itself with mother killer whale Tahlequah.
The condition of Southern resident killer whales reflects an ecosystem in crisis. In recent months, many conservation organizations have called on Environment Canada to issue an emergency order to protect this locally extinct population. Assessments from multiple federal government agencies show the killer whale population has dropped to 73, with only 23 females of reproductive age.