For a 2nd time, orca who lost baby seen carrying dead calf in northwestern U.S. waters
Global News
J35 made international headlines in 2018 when she carried the young whale’s carcass with her for more than two weeks and 1,500 kilometres.
The orca that captured worldwide attention in 2018 when she carried her deceased calf with her for 17 days appears to be grieving again.
According to the Center for Whale Research, the mother, known as J35, was spotted in the area of Puget Sound with a new calf, J61, in late December.
However, the center said that on New Year’s Eve, they confirmed that J61 had not survived and that as of Jan. 1, J35 was seen carrying J61 with her.
J35 is a southern resident killer whale and is known by the nickname Talequah.
Southern resident killer whales remain critically endangered, and scientists believe a lack of Chinook salmon, their main food source, along with marine noise and environmental pollution are all contributing factors.
J35 made international headlines in 2018 when she carried the young whale’s carcass with her for more than two weeks and 1,500 km.
The center said it hopes to have more information about Talequah and the calf in the coming days.
Meanwhile, they did also share some good news.
