ORCAS: Happy and sad news for Southern Resident Killer Whales, including a birth

| West Seattle news | Whales | Wildlife

(J37 in central Puget Sound in December 2020, photographed by Kersti Muul)

Happy and sad news about the Southern Resident Killer Whales. First, the happy news – J-Pod has a new calf. The Center for Whale Research confirms the arrival of J59, believed to have been born to 21-year-old J37 sometime in the past few days. The two were seen yesterday in the San Juan Islands. CWR says this is the first J-Pod calf born in a year and a half. This brings the number of J-Pod orcas to 74. It’s too soon to know the calf’s gender.

Now the sad news – two other J-Pod whales are believed to have lost their calves, according to SR3. Their researchers documented three pregnant J-Pod whales last September (as reported here) and now says that during a recent sighting, before the aforementioned birth, only J37 appeared still pregnant. The other two had lost body size, and neither was accompanied by a calf. “Unfortunately, reproductive loss has become normal for this population,” SR3’s report says. (These orca updates were first reported by Lynda Mapes of The Seattle Times.)

Sad March 2, 2022 (8:24 pm)

Happy to hear about the new orca calf — and most distressing to hear about the other two pregnant orcas who did not carry their babies to term due to lack of salmon in our waters. Time for sport fisher folk like myself to leave the salmon for the starving orcas.

Kersti Elisabeth Muul March 2, 2022 (9:11 pm)

Starvation is not the reason for these aborted pregnancies or still births, neither of these whales were underweight. J19s pregnancy was very risky to begin with for a few reasons and it’s almost good she did not carry to term. These whales face many issues, including genetics.
- For orca mammas March 2, 2022 (11:27 pm)
  
  You are right about there being other factors. However, nutrition issues, and stress – from lack of food, along with noise pollution interference making foraging harder, and likely grief from their pod’s losses, would be contributing factors.
  
  We cannot minimize any of these whales biggest threats. As a species they are experiencing starvation, and of course that would impact them reproductively, even if these two whales specifically weren’t under weight.

TJ March 2, 2022 (9:54 pm)

Sport fisher folk aren’t the problem in regards to salmon. The commercial industry and tribes take far more Chinook (Coho and Sockeye aren’t their food source). Too bad they can’t diversify their diet as the northern resident and other orcas populations are good.

Herongrrrl March 2, 2022 (11:49 pm)

If overharvest were the key problem, it would be simple to fix. Habitat loss as our region has experienced explosive growth (including the dams built to supply us with “green” power), and water pollution–much of which occurs from untreated stormwater carrying household yard chemicals, leaking car fluids and toxic tire rubber chemicals, and nutrient-loadingnpet waste–are huge factors in the decline of salmon stocks as well. Then there are the pharmaceuticals and other toxic chemicals that aren’t removed by our wastewater treatment processes. It’s a very complex issue and we get no closer to solving it by oversimplifying.
- Kersti Elisabeth Muul March 3, 2022 (11:23 am)
  
  Over-harvest is a huge issue, globally as well as locally. It is not a simple fix by any means. That is what you call oversimplifying

For orca mammas March 2, 2022 (11:15 pm)

When reading this news, felt both joy and sadness in a moment, but my heartbreak for their plight swelled. It’s hard to dare to hope for these calves anymore, with what they are up against. The future isn’t looking so good for our resident orcas, not without more significant and immediate efforts on our part.

But I will continue to hope, because it’s not too late yet.

If anyone is free tomorrow, there is a demonstration event downtown for our orcas, and they need more people to participate. Show up for what you love, help be their voice!

To find event details search for ‘Human Orca Mural at Pike Place’ or ‘Backbone campaign.’ There is also a link on the Orca Network Facebook page.

WSB March 2, 2022 (11:38 pm)

Thanks for mentioning that; shame they didn’t send a news release.
https://www.backbonecampaign.org/030322
- For orca mammas March 2, 2022 (11:43 pm)
  
  👍 Thanks for posting the link!

Lorenzo March 2, 2022 (11:37 pm)

Are we sure that they lost their calves? Maybe they have just not had their babies yet. I have been looking out for any news on the three reported pregnancies . I am glad one calf has been born ! Lets hope for the best !

WSB March 3, 2022 (1:07 am)

If you follow the link to SR3’s news release, they explain in detail why they reached that conclusion.
Kersti Elisabeth Muul March 3, 2022 (8:34 am)

They are way beyond their due dates and their body condition shows they are no longer pregnant.