WHALES: Southern Resident orcas in central Puget Sound – but have lost another calf

2:38 PM: The Southern Resident Killer Whales of J-Pod have been seen in central Puget Sound, “coming south all day” per Kersti Muul. That would be their first visit of the season, she adds. But they’re in the news today for a sad reason – a loss. Another newborn calf has died, the Center for Whale Research reported:

Late in the morning on September 12th, several sources alerted CWR researchers to apparent sightings of a southern resident killer whale pushing a deceased calf in Rosario Strait. 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.

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 3 days.

Researchers from SR3, SeaDoc Society, and the Whale Museum soon arrived on scene and conducted further documentation and measurement. We will share more when we can, and work with the other research teams to piece together what information we can about this calf and J36’s status.

Kersti notes that the mom, J36, has lost one of her offspring before – J52, whose death at age 2 1/2 we noted eight years ago.

2:41 PM: Just as we were publishing the notes above, we heard from Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail, who plans to be at Emma Schmitz Overlook (across from Me Kwa Mooks, 4500 block Beach Drive) with binoculars to share. She estimates the orcas might be in view from West Seattle, looking north, by about 3:15 pm.

3:01 PM: No orca-watching after all – Donna just told us the orcas turned around at West Point (northwest edge of Elliott Bay) and are headed northbound.

anonyme September 14, 2025 (6:39 am)

I’m aware of all the challenges facing orcas in general, but has anyone been able to accurately determine the cause of death of these calves? I’m guessing the bodies are not recoverable.

Kersti Muul September 14, 2025 (9:42 am)

Researchers choose to not take the bodies from grieving mothers, despite how valuable the data collected would be. If the calf were left before it was too degraded, it would be collected. But the timing would have to be impeccable.Orca calves are undersized more often now. Not underweight necessarily, but congenitally there are some things going on. This is just one problem they face.

Donna, The Whale Trail September 14, 2025 (10:31 am)

That’s right, Anonyme – usually the bodies sink. Before that happens, researchers will gather data they can take from afar, but are sensitive to not further distressing the mother.

On a brighter note, most of the calves born to this population in the last six years have survived. There are now 11 calves under six years old, and 7 of them are female. The population actually had a net increase of one this year, and now consists of 74 individuals. This is really good news that I wish would get more attention.

Orca supporter September 14, 2025 (10:40 am)

So very sad to lose another of these precious orcas. Thank you for keeping us informed, Kersti. You might want to remind everyone how we can best contribute our funds to support health and resilience of our iconic, critically endangered southern resident orcas. In addition, we can reduce toxic runoff into Puget Sound by avoiding use of pesticide and herbicide products in our yards.Our hearts go out to bereaved orca mother J36 and her family,Sad but Determined Orca Supporter

Car September 14, 2025 (11:02 am)

While it’s good to use less pesticide, the chemicals in car tires are particularly deadly to salmon, the whales’ primary food source. Every time you drive, your tires shed dust that runs off into the rivers and Sound, killing salmon. If we want these whales to have a stable food source, we collectively need to drive less.
- Kersti Muul September 14, 2025 (6:37 pm)
  
  Indeed. Coho, being a bridge food for them-makes them critically essential for their diet. 6PPD-Q impacts coho in particular. The coho have begun running and Jpod was foraging up north today. Numbers are good and some good sized fish are being caught.
  
  Pesticides and herbicides are harmful as well. We are losing insect numbers and diversity and that has a compounding impact on the entire ecosystem.
  
  Climate change is quickly moving the needle on all the issues

Scarlett September 14, 2025 (12:42 pm)

I wonder if there is enough genetic diversity in this Southern Orca pod to prevent inbreeding.

Tammy September 15, 2025 (5:49 am)

No body wants to address the issue of over fishing by both commercial and tribal fisheries and how that is impacting the resident orca populations when the salmon are all netted up to sell in stores and high end seattle restaurant’s cause heaven forbid consumers should have to go without there precious salmon to save the resident orcas you claim to care about its not toxins killing off the food supply for the orcas its commercial fishing in the puget sound when the biologists released the number of salmon they have returning this year to puget sound they were expecting a record number of pink salmon and coho this year orca eat salmon they dont eat just one salmon species they eat all salmon species and the salmon numbers drop off really fast between the ocean and through the straights and the numbers get smaller the closer to seattle and further into the south sound the fish numbers dwindle and thats because of the number of commercial and tribal fishing boats laying out nets scooping up as many salmon as possible between the straight to right out in front of Elliott bay and down south to tacoma thats what has the biggest effect on the resident orca populations more then pollutants or tires the lack of food due to commercial fishing of a very delicate ecosystem of returning salmon that is the primary food supply for the resident orcas every year at this time

Kersti Muul September 16, 2025 (10:25 am)

Yes overfishing is an issue and it’s not true that nobody is addressing that. However, there isn’t a ‘number one issue’ we are able to point a finger at. They have complex and compounded problems. Also, they don’t eat pink salmon.

Una Anderson September 16, 2025 (2:16 pm)

Another impact is the clear cutting our big trees, the last of the city’s groves are going down. We’ve lost over 4,500 trees in the past two years which impacts stormwater run-off – millions more gallons are dumping pollutants into Puget Sound. Trees and vegetation are critical to the health of our region, which some of the newcomers don’t seem to realize (cutting trees for views, for example, while hurting the very body of water they’re looking at).Trees also provide shade for young salmon in the streams – there are 47 or so streams and waterways that feed into the Sound. Also didn’t help last year when 56,000 gallons of raw sewage dumped into the Sound as the Chinook were coming back, wiping out 67% of the population. Our sewer systems are failing – I’ve been talking to SPU all summer because I keep seeing them working on sewers throughout the city…City Council is ignoring stormwater impacts but at least SPU is trying to update their manual to manage it more effectively. It really takes a collaborative effort to help protect this keystone species – their well-being is indicative of the potential for ecosystem collapse, so it really pays to engage on this issue.

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