Photo: Center for Whale Research
The Southern Resident killer whale population is fighting for survival, but it may have a new ray of hope. A whale calf was spotted among “J Pod” by the Center for Whale Research (CWR), a Washington state-based nonprofit that announced the new development in a press release.
Though all killer whale populations are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Southern Resident killer whales are one of only two populations that receive special protections under Federal Law. The group of whales, which resides mostly off the coast of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“On April 6, 2025, CWR Field Biologist Mark Malleson located J Pod as they traveled west past Victoria Harbor,” explained the release. “During this encounter, he observed and documented a newborn calf swimming closely alongside J40. This is J40’s first known calf and the fourth born into the Southern Resident killer whale population in the past 12 months – a sign of hope for this endangered community.”
The new calf has been dubbed J63. CWR elaborated that, while there are no current concerns regarding the animal’s health, that the first year of life is a challenging one for young whales. Of three other calves born to the population in the past year, only one is still alive.
“We remain cautiously optimistic about J63’s survival and will conduct follow-up observations of the calf’s behavior and physical condition in the coming days and months, as opportunities allow,” continued the release. “Each new calf is vitally important to this critically endangered population – every birth counts – and we’re hopeful that this young whale will continue to thrive.”
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