The orca known as J35 (Tahlequah) carries the carcass of her dead calf in the waters of Puget Sound, near West Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (NOAA Fisheries via AP)
By AFP - Agence France Presse
Grieving orca seen carrying another dead calf in US waters
Scientists say whales are among the world's most intelligent animals, exhibiting complex social behavior that includes self-awareness and grief
Washington, USA: A grieving female orca that carried her dead calf for more than two weeks in 2018 has again lost a newborn and is carrying its body, US marine researchers said.
Scientists say whales are among the world's most intelligent animals, exhibiting complex social behavior, including self-awareness and grief.
The Center for Whale Research, based in Washington state, said the endangered orca named Tahlequah, also known as J35, was seen carrying her deceased calf in Puget Sound, near Seattle, on New Year's Day.
“J35 was seen carrying the body of her dead cub,” the center said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“This behavior was previously seen by J35 in 2018 when she carried the body of her deceased pup for 17 days,” it said.
When Tahlequah was carrying her deceased newborn seven years ago, she was seen sometimes poking his body with her nose and sometimes grabbing him with her mouth, US media reported.
“It's a very tragic grief journey,” Center for Whale Research founder Ken Balcomb told public broadcaster NPR at the time.
The center said the loss of the last newborn female was “particularly devastating” because Tahlequah has already lost two of its four documented pups.
“We hope to gain more insight into the situation through further observations,” the post said.
The center also said that Tahlequah's group was accompanied by another newborn. “The sex of the calf is not yet known, but the team reports that the calf appeared physically and behaviorally normal,” the center said.
Tahlequah and her group mates are southern resident killer whales, a population listed as endangered in the United States.
There are only three groups in the population, with around 70 whales. They spend several weeks each spring and fall in the waters of Puget Sound.
Their numbers are declining due to a combination of factors, including the reduction of their prey and the noise and disturbance caused by ships and boats, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
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