Birth of endangered West Coast orca witnessed by whale watchers

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — A group of whale watchers outside Victoria got more than they paid for this week when they witnessed the birth of a baby orca – and not just any orca, but a southern resident killer whale, which are endangered.

According to the Pacific Whale Watch Association, the company was returning to Victoria from viewing humpbacks on Thursday and were on their way to see sea lions when they came upon the female.

The naturalists on board didn’t initially know what was going on but once they realized what was happening, “it was pure excitement realizing that it was a birth and the baby was very alive and boisterous,” naturalist Leah Vanderwiel says in a social media post.

“She appeared to be alone at the time and stayed very close to the surface for a few minutes. After going under for several minutes, she reappeared, and this time it looked like she was pushing something with her rostrum. She surfaced like this 3 or 4 times,” says naturalist Talia Goodyear.

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“We did question whether this was a Biggs killer whale with a seal, or if we were seeing a buoy and this was an entanglement, and then we were concerned we could be re-living the tragic situation with J35 and her deceased calf from 2018,” Goodyear says.

“She was aiding the baby up for a few breaths with her rostrum,” Vanderwiel added, “at which point the little one started surfacing on its own. It appeared to be a rambunctious little bundle of baby, as every surface was exaggerated and playful. We watched as they continued to head off southwest from Race Rocks.”

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During the encounter, naturalists took the time to educate the people on board about southern resident killer whales and their matrilineal social structures, their playful nature and life histories.

The founder and executive director of the Center for Whale Research Ken Balcomb says it’s too soon to determine the calf’s status, adding additional observations are necessary before they can give more information about the new baby’s health. The mother is J41, Eclipse, who last gave birth to a boy in 2015.

This is the second baby born among the southern resident killer whale population this month. J35, or Tahlequah, gave birth earlier in September. Her calf has been identified as a boy. Tahlequah made headlines two years ago when she publicly mourned her last calf by travelling 1,600 kilometres, carrying the baby’s carcass.