Overview
- The Center for Whale Research reported that during an Oct. 23 encounter near Village Bay off Mayne Island, mother J42 surfaced repeatedly without her calf.
- After several long dives with no sighting of J64, the field team concluded the weeks-old calf most likely did not survive.
- Researchers photographed J42 traveling with her mother J16 and brother J26, while other juveniles such as J62 and J63 were present without J64.
- The calf was first documented on Sept. 18 by Orca Network and the SeaDoc Society and was confirmed days later by the Center for Whale Research.
- The southern resident population stands at roughly 74 whales, with high newborn mortality tied to scarce Chinook salmon, poor maternal nutrition, toxin transfer and human disturbances.