Update 1/4/24
Unfortunately, there has been a rather sad update for J61, as the Center for Whale Research recently confirmed that she has not survived. This is devastating news for many reasons, largely because this is Tahlequah’s second calf not to survive and she has been spotted carrying J61, just like she did back in 2018. Both calves that Tahlequah lost have been female, and if they had survived, they could’ve had their own matrilines. This loss is so sad and yet another blow to the Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
There has been another calf spotted in J Pod but the mother and sex of the new calf haven’t been confirmed. CWR has confirmed that the calf does seem to be physically and behaviorally normal.
Six years ago, Tahlequah, a Southern Resident Killer Whale in the J Pod, made headlines by carrying her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles. The calf had survived, unfortunately, for only an hour after birth, something that is all too common for Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). A significant amount of southern resident pregnancies end in miscarriage while those that do make it to birth face high mortality rates during their first year. With an official population of only 73, the well-being of every single SRKW is incredibly important.
With all that in mind, it’s particularly hopeful but realistically bittersweet that Tahlequah was recently spotted with another calf! Organizations and people around the Salish Sea have repeatedly spotted the calf during the last week, with the Center of Whale Research (CWR) taking a lead in the research and data collection of the new calf. CWR officially announced on December 24th that more information was collected by researchers and scientists and it was then that Tahlequah was identified as the mother, the calf was given the alpha numeric designation of J61, and J61 was identified as female.
Note: CWR is the only organization in Washington with the ability to officially confirm changes to the Southern Resident population. Some on social media have taken offense to this, stating that no organization has the exclusive right to announce the birth of an animal or “own the rights” to other sentient beings. At no point have CWR and other organizations claimed to own the rights to the Southern Residents and to make the leap to saying calves don’t exist without the say-so from CWR proves a severe lack of critical thinking and reading comprehension in the general public. The announcement and the authorization from CWR are regarding the official designation of calves and the official population numbers of the Southern Residents. These designations and numbers are, rather obviously, a human creation made for our understanding of these animals. As one person stated in a comment on a post from The Whale Museum, “it’s CWR who conducts and maintains the official census for the population. There’s no need for folks to get snappish.”
J61 is actually Tahlequah’s fourth calf but the third to make it more than an hour after birth. There was the calf in 2018 that made national and international news when Tahlequah spent nearly three weeks actively grieving. But her two other calves (males born in 2010 and 2020) have survived. Scientists are hopeful that Tahlequah will be better equipped to care for two young calves because she’s so experienced. However, there are concerns about Tahlequah and her older offspring. A survey done in October of 2024 showed that they were both rather lean, which is concerning as Southern Residents are marine mammals and rely on extra fat reserves for lactation. And with two young calves to care for, folks are concerned that Tahlequah may not have the energy, fat, and other resources to adequately care for both.
Starvation and a lack of resources are huge issues for Southern Residents, as the decreasing population of their food source (Chinook Salmon) has had severely impacted their ability to eat and is a major factor in their endangered status. Unlike their transient and offshore counterparts that have a large and varied diet, Southern Residents rely on Chinook Salmon. And with the salmon population simultaneously decreasing in number and decreasing in size, it’s no wonder that Southern Residents are having a hard time.
Additionally, scientists are concerned that J61 may be premature and that there may be some other issues we’re not seeing quite yet. Brad Hanson, a biologist for NOAA, told The Seattle Times that he was concerned with some behaviors he witnessed, stating that the calf was staying down for concerning amounts of time and that “the amount of action where the calf was getting pushed around on mom’s head, it seemed more than I would have expected to see, and it just wasn’t very lively.”
While there are concerns about this new calf, there are others that are also hopeful. Southern Resident Killer Whales are an incredibly important species, especially for the Salish Sea, that currently face numerous obstacles. There is still time to help these marine mammals and many ways that we can do so! Learn as much as you can by listening to scientists and indigenous communities. The SeaDoc Society’s Pod Of Orcas podcast and Children of the Setting Sun’s Youth and Indigenous podcast are both great listens. Build and participate in sustainable communities, like reducing your textile waste, doing beach cleanups, joining a “Buy Nothing” group, and buying local produce (when possible!). Support salmon habitat restoration by contacting local representatives and elected officials (like your city or county councils!!) about restoration projects or volunteering at work parties. Be a responsible and informed citizen by following Be Whale Wise guidelines when boating or keeping up to date with local news.
Not everyone can do everything but everyone can definitely do something to help!
Featured photo: A photo of new orca calf J61 with its mother Tahlequah on Dec. 24, 2024. (Photo: Maya Sears, taken under NMFS/NOAA permit 27052)