View this post on Instagram
A new orca calf has been born in J Pod. The baby cetacean, called J64, is part of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
According the CBC, J64 was first reported to the Center for Whale Research on September 18, then spotted by researchers at the center on September 23. It was seen swimming with its family in Active Pass, near Mayne and Galiano Islands in B.C.
“This calf was where it was supposed to be, right alongside its mom. It was pretty socially well integrated, a lot of young females were spending a lot of time around this calf,” CWR research director Michael Weiss told the CBC. He added that J64’s arrival occurred just a week after another calf in the pod was spotted dead.
However, J64’s fate is still far from secure. “These first few months are really quite difficult and quite critical,” explained Weiss. Based on the calf’s surfacing pattern, Weiss believes that it is attempting to nurse, which is a positive sign.
The J pod is part of the southern resident killer whale population, a group that is facing serious challenges. Only 73 whales remain in the population, and J pod itself only has 27.
“Every single birth we can get in this population is really, really precious,” said Weiss.
