Orcas in news again: Grieving killer whale mom seen carrying dead calf for miles

An endangered orca in Washington state has once again been spotted displaying heartbreaking behavior — carrying her deceased newborn calf in what appears to be an attempt to revive it.

According to researchers from the Center for Whale Research, SeaDoc Society, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, reports came in on Friday about an orca identified as J36. She was seen in the Rosario Strait, a section of the Salish Sea near the San Juan Islands, pushing her dead calf through the water. The researchers later confirmed that the newborn female calf had died and noted that the umbilical cord was still attached, suggesting she was only a few days old.

Calf mortality is unfortunately common among orcas, but the Southern Resident killer whale population — the small and endangered group that lives in the waters between Washington state and British Columbia — has faced particular challenges in recent decades. Their numbers have dwindled to just 73 individuals due to a sharp decline in Chinook salmon, their primary food source, combined with pollution and boat noise, which disrupt their communication and hunting.



This incident comes months after another Southern Resident orca, Tahlequah (or J35), was seen carrying a stillborn calf. Tahlequah became widely known in 2018 after she carried her dead calf for 17 days across more than 1,000 miles of ocean in what many interpreted as a display of grief.

Researchers could not confirm whether J36’s calf was born alive. Based on earlier sightings, they estimate the calf was no older than three days at the time of its death. By Saturday, J36 was no longer carrying the calf, SeaDoc Society spokesperson Justin Cox reported.

The tragedy reignited conversations about killer whales’ complex emotions and their history of violent incidents in captivity. One of the most infamous cases involved Tilikum, a massive male orca responsible for three human deaths, including the drowning of trainer Keltie Byrne in 1991. In 2009, another orca, Keto, killed Spanish trainer Alexis Martinez during a rehearsal — a reminder of the risks of keeping such intelligent predators in confinement.