Orca who carried her dead newborn 1,000 miles gives birth to another new calf

Summary

Tahlequah, the orca who gained global attention in 2018 for carrying her dead calf for 17 days across 1,000 miles, has given birth to a new calf, designated J61.

The Center for Whale Research expressed concern for J61’s survival, as orca calves face high mortality in their first year.

Tahlequah, part of the endangered Southern Resident orcas, now has three surviving offspring.

With only 73 whales left in the population, threats like pollution, food scarcity, and contaminants remain critical challenges to their survival.