There’s positive news for a critically endangered orca population, as a new southern resident killer whale calf has been born off B.C.’s coast. The U.S.-based Center for Whale Research says the calf was spotted on Monday, travelling with J35. Researchers say the orca, dubbed J65, is under a week old and male. “The team saw no signs of health issues in this calf; they observed the calf moving well, socializing, and nursing from J35. However, early life is challenging for these whales, with only half of them making it through their first year,” the organization wrote in a social media post Wednesday. The new addition is J35’s sixth calf, according to the CWR. It says she has two living sons, and was seen carrying a dead female calf for 17 days in 2018. As of July 1, the southern resident orca population was 76, so the new calf brings the total to 77. The CWR says 2026 was the second consecutive year of growth for the group, but it is still smaller than historic levels and reproducing at a slower rate than other killer whale populations. Southern resident orcas, unlike transient killer whales, primarily eat Chinook salmon and their survival depends on availability of the fish.
