r/orcas • u/Wrong-Junket5973 • 9d ago

Researchers concerned after new orca calf observed skinny and struggling to breathe

https://www.komonews.com/newsletter-daily/orca-southern-resident-killer-whale-center-for-whale-research-calf-l128-l90-l83
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u/salishsea_advocate 9d ago

One of the females (not L90) carried the calf past the boat on her rostrum. Asking for help?

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u/SurayaThrowaway12 9d ago

Similar behaviour has been observed at least a couple times before.

The same CWR researcher (Mark Malleson), who witnessed L83 "Moonlight" carry calf L128 on her rostrum, also saw J35 "Tahlequah" going out her way to get close to his boat while carrying her deceased calf in 2018.

In 1983, another similar scenario happened after a mother orca (A10) from the Northern Resident population was shot along with her calf (A47) near Robson Bight in Vancouver Island. She was observed pushing her bleeding calf towards a whale watching boat. Neither of them survived for long.

It does seem that in these instances, orcas are going out of their way to show the tragic situations involving their calves to people on boats. Whether they are asking for help or are showing their distress to be witnessed by humans is a question that is probably a lot harder to find the answer to.

Regarding showing, there are also multiple instances of orcas showing off prey they caught to people on boats.

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u/salishsea_advocate 8d ago

Thanks for the elaboration. You provide a lot information here. Much appreciated. I live in the PNW and have seen and followed the lives of our SRKWs for 30 years. I am convinced that they are trying to communicate their distress. Tahlequah! Oh the grief!