Lost Fourth Child Born Last Year Recently Again
Carried 2018 Baby Carcass 1600km
A mother orca who swam tirelessly for 17 days, supporting her dead calf's body so it would not sink into the sea, suffered the tragedy of losing her fourth calf born last year.
Foreign media including the British daily The Guardian reported on the 2nd (local time) that the Whale Research Center, a U.S. nonprofit organization, found the mother orca Talekua (J35) with her dead calf in the Puget Sound area of Washington State last month on the 30th. The deceased baby orca 'J61' was confirmed as Talekua's fourth calf, first seen around the 20th of last month.
On the 1st (local time), off the coast of Puget Sound in Washington State, USA, a mother orca named Tolekua was seen swimming with the carcass of her dead calf on her back. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The Whale Research Center stated that when found, J61 was lying lifeless on the mother's head, raising concerns about its health. Ultimately, J61 died just ten days after birth. The center also reported that on the 1st, they witnessed the mother orca Talekua carrying the dead body of baby J61 on her body.
Talekua became a subject of attention in 2018 when she was observed swimming in the Pacific Ocean for at least 17 days, supporting the dead calf's body with her own body. At that time, after the calf died just hours after birth, Talekua supported the calf so it would not sink using her body for at least 17 days around Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, covering an estimated distance of 1,600 km.
The orca Tahlequah and her calf 'J61' spotted on the 20th of last month. Provided by the Whale Research Center, Yonhap News Agency
A mother orca swimming while carrying her calf's dead body on her snout or fin is interpreted as an act of mourning by orcas. Sometimes, other orcas from the same pod gather around the grieving mother to comfort and mourn together. Talekua and her deceased calf belong to the Southern Resident orca population inhabiting the Pacific coast of Canada, which is classified as an endangered species. As of last year, the population was estimated to be around 70 individuals.
Talekua gave birth to her third calf (J57) in September 2020, about two years after losing a calf. Talekua had her first calf in 2010, and the orca gestation period is approximately 18 months. The Whale Research Center expressed sorrow, stating, "The loss of a calf is a tremendous loss, but considering the history of mother orca J35 (Talekua), who has lost two of her four recorded calves so far, J61's death is especially heartbreaking."
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