Southern residents buoyed by another newborn, fourth in three months

Published 12:17 pm Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Whale-watch enthusiasts spotted another new addition to J-pod near Active Pass, British Columbia, March 30.

When first sighted, the killer whale calf still showed tale-tell signs of fetal folds, indicating it was only a few days old.

Known as J-52, the newborn is presumably a member of 42-year-old J-16’s matriline, the group it was seen swimming with. This family also includes a calf born just before the new year, J-51.

“We’re just going on the basis of photographs by other people,” said Ken Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research. “We don’t want to prematurely say who the mom is.”

Balcomb said it’s too early to tell who J-52’s mom is, because after giving birth to a 500-pound baby, another female will often take on the role as “babysitter” before the mother recuperates and begins nursing.

The mother won’t be determined until the Center can properly observe the calf. The whales were headed north to feed in the Strait of Georgia, and their return to local waters could be anywhere from one day to a few weeks, Balcomb said.

J-52 is the fourth newborn Southern Resident since the new year, but it’s not necessarily indicative of a baby boom.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many in such a short time,” Balcomb said. “We’ve had upwards of seven to eight born in a year.”

Balcomb also credits an increased effort in monitoring the orcas throughout the winter, as well as being in tune with whale-watchers, for the sightings of new calves over the past six months.

— Emily Greenberg