||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH |||


On May 26, the Center for Whale Research staff encountered J pod during a photo-ID and aerial observation survey. The whales were very social, with lots of rolling both under and at the surface. During this encounter, the team managed to capture photographs and drone video of the ventral side of the pod’s youngest member, J59. From this, the team was able to determine that J59 is a female.

Having another female is good news for the southern residents; the population’s growth is largely limited by the number of reproductively aged females. While one calf won’t save the population, we hope that J59 can grow to adulthood and contribute to future generations of southern residents.


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