SEATTLE — A new calf has been born into the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population, offering hopeful news for a well-known mother with a history of loss.
The Center for Whale Research announced that researchers first spotted the very young calf traveling alongside J35 on Oct. 19.
Based on its appearance and previous sightings of J35, researchers believe the calf was less than a week old at the time. Researchers encountered the pair again the following day and used drone footage to confirm the new calf, designated J65, is male.
So far, the signs are encouraging.
The Center for Whale Research said researchers saw no signs of health problems and observed J65 moving well, socializing and nursing from J35.
“Right now they are saying it’s looking really healthy and strong. So that’s good news,” said Tamra Kelly, communications director for Orca Conservancy.
A new chapter for J35
The birth is particularly notable because of J35’s history.
This is her fifth documented calf. Her first, J47, was born in 2010.
In 2018, J35 drew international attention after the death of a female calf. She was observed carrying the calf’s body for 17 days, an event that became known as the “Tour of Grief.”
“It’s not totally uncommon to see orcas or even dolphins carry deceased calves,” Kelly said. “But what made that so impactful was the length of time that she was observed carrying that calf.”
J35 later gave birth to a son, J57, in 2020. In 2024, she had another daughter, J61, who did not survive.
Kelly said the birth of J65 is welcome news for both J35 and the larger J pod.
But the calf’s first year will be critical.
The Center for Whale Research says only about half of Southern Resident calves survive their first year.
Kelly said Southern Residents face several overlapping threats, including a lack of food, toxic pollution, and boat noise.
“These calves are being born full of toxins which can compromise their immune system, like impact growth,” Kelly said. “And so they have an uphill battle that they’re trying to climb.”
Kelly said pollutants can accumulate in the whales’ bodies and can be passed from mothers to their calves, including through nursing.
Orca Conservancy is currently involved in research aimed at better understanding how toxic pollution affects killer whales’ hormones, growth, and development.
Kelly said researchers hope the work will provide more information about how those pollutants affect the whales and eventually help inform policies intended to protect them.
Not all orcas in Puget Sound are struggling
Kelly also cautioned that the orcas people frequently see around Puget Sound do not all belong to the same population.
Southern Resident killer whales primarily eat fish and are endangered. A separate population commonly known as Bigg’s, or transient, killer whales primarily hunts marine mammals.
The populations are genetically and culturally distinct, Kelly said, and their different circumstances can sometimes create confusion about the health of the Southern Residents.
Kelly pointed to the success of the mammal-eating population as an example of what could be possible when killer whales have an abundant food supply.
“I like to use the mammal-eating population, which are called transients or Bigg’s killer whales, as the poster child of basically, look, if these animals have enough to eat, they will return to the area and they will thrive,” Kelly said.
For J65, researchers will now be watching closely.
The Center for Whale Research said its team and its partners plan to continue monitoring the calf when possible.
For now, researchers say the newest member of J pod appears to be doing well.
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