||| FROM KOMO NEWS |||
There’s new hope in the J Pod of endangered Southern Resident orca whales. A new calf has arrived!
On Apr. 6, Center for Whale Research biologist Mark Malleson spotted the J Pod heading west past Victoria Harbour, off Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
It was then that he saw a newborn calf swimming close to whale J40. The calf is J40’s first known baby and the fourth born into the Southern Resident population in the last year.
The new calf – J63 – appears to be healthy, but the first year can be challenging for young whales, especially those born to first-time mothers, according to CWR.
CWR said it is cautiously optimistic about the baby’s survival and will monitor the calf.
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