Researchers from Washington state have observed a southern resident killer whale, known as J31, with a deceased calf near the coast of British Columbia. The Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Wash., reported the sighting of J31 in the Juan de Fuca Strait close to Sombrio Point on Vancouver Island. It remains uncertain whether the calf was male or female and whether it was carried to full-term or was stillborn.
J31 has experienced previous reproductive losses, including failed pregnancies, and was previously seen in 2016 carrying a deceased calf. The discovery of another dead calf is significant as it highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the endangered southern resident killer whale population in successful reproduction.
The southern resident killer whales are classified as critically endangered, with a population of around 73 in 2024. Researchers emphasize that the recovery of the local population heavily relies on the availability of chinook salmon. The cause of the calf’s death remains unknown, but it adds to the existing reproductive difficulties within the population.
J31, born in 1995, has one surviving offspring named J56, born in 2019. The Center for Whale Research underscores the importance of every calf’s successful birth and survival for a population as small as the southern residents.