Alki, or J36, is the latest example of a grieving killer whale pushing her dead calf with her. Photo: Center for Whale Research//Facebook
In 2018, an orca named Tahlequah broke the world’s heart as she carried her dead calf with her for 17 days. Now, just a few years later, it’s happening again.
The mother orca, known as Alki or J36, has been spotted off the coast of Washington State with her dead newborn calf. She’s part of a pod that’s in dire straits, population-wise, and each animal matters.
As IFLScience reports, the Center for Whale Research was alerted to the situation in Rosario Strait on the morning of Friday, September 12. While researchers were able to tell the sex of the calf, they aren’t sure whether it was born alive or not.
“CWR researchers arrived in the area in the early afternoon, and sadly were able to confirm that southern resident J36 was pushing a deceased female neonate, with umbilical cord still attached,” The Center for Whale Research wrote. “Based on the size of the calf, we estimate that the calf was either full term or near full term. It is unclear if this was a stillbirth or if the calf died shortly after birth. Based on when we last observed J36, this calf would have been born within the last three days.”
The mother is part of J-Pod, which is one of three groups of southern resident orcas that make the area their home. Their numbers have been worrying conservationists for decades, and they continue to struggle. It’s theorized that the act of carrying the calf with them could be an outward display of mourning, and although it is uncommon, it has happened more than once in the past.
