It’s a girl! The Center for Whale Research announced after spotting J59 with her pod Thursday.
The newest member of the J pod was spotted during a photo-ID and aerial observation survey in which the whale’s ventral side was seen.
J-59 is the first calf born into the J pod since September 2020, when J41 gave birth to J58, a female.
“Having another female is good news for the southern residents; the population’s growth is largely limited by the number of reproductively aged females,” representatives with the organization said.
Despite the good news, representatives said one calf wouldn’t save the population. They are hoping that J59 makes it to adulthood, contributing to the future of southern resident orcas.
According to representatives, the whales were very social and were rolling above and below the water.
Recently, a calf was born into the K pod of southern resident orcas, the first in 11 years.
The calf was born to K20, a female also known as Spock. It was first spotted off the coast of Oregon on April 28, according to the Associated Press.
A lack of Chinook salmon, pollution and underwater noise is making it harder for the whales to hunt and survive.
©2022 Cox Media Group
