2 days Ago
An orca who made headlines in 2018 for carrying around the body of her dead offspring has lost another calf, and seems to be repeating her prior show of grief. The killer whale mother is widely known as Tahlequah, a name given to her by the Whale Museum in Washington state. She is also called J35 by researchers, which refers to her status as a member of a pod of orcas in the Pacific Northwest known as the J Pod.
On Christmas Eve, the Center for Whale Research had confirmed that Tahlequah had given birth to a new female calf, J61, after the two were spotted together in the Puget Sound area. Though researchers expressed hope for the calf, they also noted they were concerned for her health. On New Year’s Day, the nonprofit shared that J61 had died , and that Tahlequah “has been seen carrying the body of the deceased calf” with her.
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Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. The behavior echoes what observers saw her do in 2018.
That year, after a female calf died within a half hour of birth, the mother carried the body on her head with her for 17 days, swimming an estimated 1,000 miles with it in what researchers called a display of grief. Tahlequah has two surviving offspring, both male, born in 2010 and 2020 . Related From Our Partner.
