Tahlequah, the Orca That Grieved Its Stillborn by Carrying It Around for 17 Days, Gives Birth To New Baby

Tahlequah, an orca who became world-famous in 2018 for carrying her stillborn calf in grief for 17 days, has given birth to a healthy new baby.

The non-profit Center for Whale Research announced the great news on Twitter on Sunday …

We are pleased to report a NEW calf in J pod! J35's new calf appeared healthy and precocious, swimming vigorously alongside its mother in its second day of free-swimming life.https://t.co/6bSnvzRAju pic.twitter.com/ctxRQqPnn8

— Whale Research (@CWROrcas) September 6, 2020

Experts are saying the new baby’s birth is a significant win for the region because up to 70 percent of orca pregnancies have ended with a miscarriage … or with a calf death shortly after birth.

Orcas in the region have been on the decline for years due to different factors — all related to human activity. Things like boat noise, dwindling food supply, habitat loss, and environmental pollution.

When Tahlequah lost her baby two years ago, she expressed her grief by carrying the dead body for 1,000 miles around the Salish Sea. The sad mother’s behavior was covered by the news media and it broke the hearts of people all over the world.

The new baby orca is a bright light not only for mother Tahlequah — but for the orca population, as well.

Unfortunately, past challenges indicate a difficult road ahead, especially when it comes to food supply and nutrition — but conservationists are hoping people on the water will give the family space and respect so that the new addition has the best chance to survive.

At Karmagawa and SaveTheReef, we’re really happy that Tahlequah has a new baby to take care of. We love it when animals are free and able to enjoy life peacefully.

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What do you think about Tahlequah’s new baby? Leave a comment below.

(Cover image: Chase Dekker/Shutterstock)