The Center for Whale Research has announced that Tahlequah, known to researchers as J35, has given birth to a new calf, designated J61. The calf was first spotted on December 20 while swimming with J pod in the Puget Sound area, marking a significant moment for the orca community.
In a Facebook post, the Center for Whale Research shared details about the new arrival, stating, “On Monday, 12/23, a team of researchers, including scientists from NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, were able to conduct longer-term observations of the new calf. These observations allow us to more confidently assign the new calf’s mother as J35 and give it the alpha-numeric designation J61.”
Concerns for Calf’s Health and Survival
The research team photographed the calf’s underside, confirming it is a female. However, they expressed concerns about the calf’s health based on the behaviors observed in both J35 and J61. “Early life is always dangerous for new calves, with a very high mortality rate in the first year. J35 is an experienced mother, and we hope that she is able to keep J61 alive through these difficult early days,” the post added.
Michael Weiss, research director of the Center for Whale Research, explained to CNN that the researchers initially struggled to confirm the calf’s identity but were eventually able to confidently assign Tahlequah as the mother and the baby as J61.
Photographer Captures the Moment
A nature enthusiast and photographer who captured images of the calf expressed his surprise upon discovering the new arrival. “I was just looking through my photos to see who the whales were that passed close to the port side of the ferry I was on and noticed a much smaller dorsal on one of the photos,” he recounted. After reviewing the series, he realized it was a very tiny calf, much smaller than any of the known young ones in the group.
Tahlequah’s Journey of Resilience
Tahlequah, or J35, gained international attention six years ago when she swam with the body of her deceased calf for approximately 1,000 miles after it died shortly after birth. She carried the body for over two weeks to prevent it from sinking. In 2020, she gave birth to her first known calf since that tragic event, named J57. Tahlequah is also the mother of another orca, J47. The birth of J61 represents a hopeful new chapter for this resilient orca mother.
