— from Ken Balcomb for Center for Whale Research —
Telephoto digital images taken from shore show that this mother whale appears to be in good physical condition (photograph by Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research).
This afternoon, J35 vigorously chased a school of salmon with her pod-mates in mid-Haro Strait in front of the Center for Whale Research for a half mile – no longer carrying the deceased baby that she had carried for at least seventeen days and 1,000 miles.
Her tour of grief is now over, and her behavior is remarkably frisky. “The ordeal of J35 carrying her dead calf for at least seventeen days and 1,000 miles is now over, thank goodness,” says Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research
Telephoto digital images taken from shore show that this mother whale appears to be in good physical condition (no evidence of “peanut-head”) following her record-setting ordeal.
There had been reports from brief sightings by whale-watchers two days ago that J35 (Tahlequah) was not pushing the calf carcass in Georgia Strait near Vancouver, BC; and, now we can confirm that she definitely has abandoned it. The carcass has probably sunk to the bottom of these inland marine waters of the Salish Sea, and researchers may not get a chance to examine it for necropsy.
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I’m glad Talequah seems ok; let her tour of grief not be lost on us, or forgotten. Let is motivate us all into being better stewards and champions for our resident orcas. They need salmon; whatever we can do to effect that, let us do it. At least 5 things need to be acted upon if we want to put our money where our mouths are and help stop the extinction of our resident orcas:
dams – release the salmon
commercial over-fishing and human overconsumption – stop or ban
escaped net pen fish (ban net pens)
protection against MORE ocean pollution/oil spills/ fossil fuel export etc
stop letting people in boats harass the resident orcas