New baby orca spotted off Vancouver Island looking sick and 'emaciated'

The newborn's skull was visible and it appeared "lumpy and skinny," said a researcher who spotted the calf on Oct. 5

Published Oct 11, 2024  •  Last updated 7 hours ago  •  2 minute read

A newborn calf was photographed swimming with L90, a 31-year-old female orca. Photo by MONIKA WIELAND SHIELDS, ORCA BEHAVIOR INSTITUTE

A newborn orca whose addition to the struggling population of southern resident killer whales was celebrated just a month ago now appears to be in poor health.

A staff member from the Center for Whale Research reported spotting the calf, identified as L128, with a group of five or six other orcas in Swiftsure Bank off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, on Oct. 5.

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Biologist Mark Malleson said the calf appeared “lumpy and skinny,” according to a report posted on the centre’s website on Friday.

As the whales approached his boat, Malleson could see the calf was draped across the rostrum, or snout, of another whale L83 — not its mother.

Its skull was visible and it remained limp for long periods of time while being pushed by L83. At one point, L83 could be seen jiggling the calf “as if desperately trying to revive it,” said Malleson.

Researchers do not know why the calf was with L83 instead of its mother, L90. They went out into the waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait again the next day but did not find the calf.

The Washington State-based centre, which tracks the endangered population of southern resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, is not declaring the calf as missing or deceased, but said: “This population needs every new addition it can get, and the loss of a calf is always tragic.

“For L90 in particular, the loss of her first documented live-born calf would be a major blow.”

The newborn was first spotted on Sept 15 off Lime Kiln Point state park on San Juan Island with L90, a 31-year old female orca.

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The pair was spotted alone and at the time, the calf — estimated to have been born within the last three days — appeared healthy and was nursing and moving normally.

According to the centre’s 2024 census, the population of southern resident killer whale is at 73 whales, down two from 2023.

The population has been in steady decline due to scarce supply of chinook salmon, the orcas’ main food, as well as contamination levels, noise and increased traffic from boats and vessels.

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