A new Southern Resident orca calf! The Center for Whale Research just published this announcement:
The Center for Whale Research has some exciting news! We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new calf in J Pod!
On April 6, 2025, CWR Field Biologist Mark Malleson located J Pod as they traveled west past Victoria Harbour. During this encounter, he observed and documented a newborn calf swimming closely alongside J40. This is J40’s first known calf and the fourth born into the Southern Resident killer whale population in the past 12 months – a sign of hope for this endangered community.
Based on initial observations of the new calf, now designated J63, there are no immediate concerns. However, the first year of life is often a challenging time for young whales, particularly those born to first-time mothers.
We remain cautiously optimistic about J63’s survival and will conduct follow-up observations of the calf’s behavior and physical condition in the coming days and months, as opportunities allow. Each new calf is vitally important to this critically endangered population – every birth counts – and we’re hopeful that this young whale will continue to thrive.
More info to come.