In a heartbreaking tale of grief, a mother orca who shot to fame after carrying around the carcass of her dead calf for more than two weeks has lost another baby, scientists have revealed.
The killer whale, identified as J35, lost its first calf in 2018, but was seen with a new female calf, known as J61, just before Christmas.
This was the second calf that J35 had delivered after losing the first.
However, a team of scientists observing the pods raised the alarm days after the discovery, saying they were “concerned” about the calf's health based on “the behavior of both J35 and J61.”
“The early years of life are always dangerous for newborn calves, and mortality rates are very high during the first year,” the Whale Research Center said. Post on Facebook Just 4 days after the discovery.
In a cruel twist of fate, the team monitoring the herd confirmed on Tuesday that the new calf had died.
“[The] For J35, the general feeling is one of deep sadness, knowing not only her history but also what the loss of a female means for the chances of recovery for southern resident killer whales. '' said Brad Hanson, a biologist at the National Institute of Marine Science and Technology. This was announced by the Seattle Northwest Atmospheric Administration. seattle times.
But not all hope is lost.
The researchers also discovered that another calf was born in a pod of endangered whales. The mother and gender have not been confirmed.
Roaming the vast Pacific Ocean between Washington state and British Columbia, the pod faces numerous threats, including noise and disturbance from ships that make hunting difficult, contamination of food, and lack of food sources.
As of December 2023, the J-pod of whales had 75 members, according to research dating back to the 1970s.
