A killer whale (Orcinus orca) that captured global attention in 2018 for swimming more than 1,000 miles with her dead newborn calf for 17 days, is believed to be grieving again.
According to the Center for Whale Research, which studies and works to conserve the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population, the whale known as Tahlequah or Whale J35, has lost another calf and has once more been seen pushing its lifeless body. Researchers entered the water with the pod to confirm the death.
This time, Tahlequah has been spotted off the coast of Washington state in the United States. While killer whales are known to carry deceased calves for up to a week, scientists noted in 2018 that Tahlequah had set a record with her prolonged mourning.
However, they noted that the death of Tahlequah’s newborn was "particularly devastating," given her history. Of her four documented calves, two female calves have now died.
"The death of any calf in the SRKW population is a tremendous loss, but the death of J61 is particularly devastating, not just because she was a female, who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother J35 who has now lost two out of four documented calves – both of which were female", The Center for Whale Research said in a statement on their Facebook page.
Southern Resident killer whales, which are listed as endangered in both Canada and the United States, rely heavily on Chinook salmon as their primary food source. However, the salmon population has been in steep decline in recent years, directly impacting the whales' nutrition and reproduction, according to research from the University of Washington.
Whales in this population are known to travel up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) a day. Tahlequah’s 2018 display of grief occurred off the shores of Victoria, British Columbia, drawing widespread attention to the plight of these endangered whales and the challenges they face.
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