Another Blessed Event for Salish Sea Orcas

Fifth new baby orca since December 2014

— from the Center for Whale Research (CWR)–

L122 with Mother L91
Photo by Dave Ellifrit, courtesy Center for Whale Research

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

Today [September 7, 2015] there was another new baby in the L pod! L91 was first seen near Sooke, BC this morning with a very newborn calf, confirmed a few hours later by Mark Malleson off Victoria, BC and CWR staffers, Dave Ellifrit and Melisa Pinnow, and by colleagues Drs. John Durban, Holly Fearnbach, and Lance Barrett-Lennard.

These latter colleagues happened to be in the area conducting a sequel to CWR aerial measurements of all of the SRKW’s (Southern Resident Killer Whales), this time with a very sophisticated hexacopter (Unmanned Aerial System – UAS, or drone). The measurements were accomplished on the US side of the border as Dave and Melissa took numerous identification photographs from the research vessel “Orca” at a respectful distance. The new calf is designated L122, and is the fifth new baby to come into the population since December, 2014. The mother and baby and other L pod whales spent the afternoon and evening in Haro Strait ‘fishing’, and by days end were joined by J and K pod members.

In the forty year history of ORCA SURVEY, a long-term photo-identification study of this whale population the greatest number of calves born in a year was 9 in 1977, and there were none born that survived in 2013 or 2014. We hope this year’s ‘baby-boom’ represents a turn-around in what has been a negative population trend in recent years. The new baby photographs and measurements will be forthcoming.