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FRIDAY HARBOR - The southern resident killer whale pod welcomed a new member: J65. The Center for Whale Research (CWR) spotted the calf just a few weeks after a different orca was seen carrying her dead newborn calf.
The CWR reported they observed the new calf on Oct. 19 traveling with J35, who has had six documented calves. The team confirmed through drone footage the calf is a male and appears to be less than a week old.
The newly reported killer whale calf, J65, was spotted with the southern resident pod in late October. (Center for Whale Research, NMFS/NOAA Permit 27038)
In 2018, J35 was seen carrying the body of a dead female calf for 17 days. Fast-forward to 2020, J35 has a teenage son, J47, followed by a daughter in 2024 who did not survive, according to the CWR.
On a bright note, Dr. Michael Weiss, the Research Director for CWR said they did not see any immediate indication of health issues in the calf.
WA southern resident orca seen carrying dead newborn calf
A southern resident orca was seen carrying her dead newborn calf on her snout near the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Oct. 3, according to the Center for Whale Research.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Center for Whale Research.
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