(Added: Photo by Mark Malleson, Center for Whale Research. Taken under DFO SARA License XMMS 2 2023. Republished with permission)

A new Southern Resident orca calf! The Center for Whale Research just published this announcement:

The Center for Whale Research has some exciting news! We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new calf in J Pod!

On April 6, 2025, CWR Field Biologist Mark Malleson located J Pod as they traveled west past Victoria Harbour. 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.

(Added: Photo by Mark Malleson, Center for Whale Research. Taken under DFO SARA License XMMS 2 2023. Republished with permission)

Based on initial observations of the new calf, now designated J63, there are no immediate concerns. However, the first year of life is often a challenging time for young whales, particularly those born to first-time mothers.

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. 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.

More info to come.