Another devastating loss for the Southern Residents
Mother seen pushing dead calf in Rosario Strait.
On Friday, September 12th, researchers from the Center for Whale Research witnessed J36, Alki, pushing her deceased calf through the water. The tiny female calf still had her umbilical cord attached, and it was not clear whether she was stillborn or died shortly after birth.
This is heartbreaking news. Every calf matters for this critically endangered population, and losing a female calf is especially tragic. Beyond the emotional toll, these losses represent an enormous energetic cost to the mother.
Research by Wasser et al. (2017) found that nearly 70% of Southern Resident pregnancies fail, with a third of those failing late in pregnancy. This pattern underscores just how urgent it is to strengthen recovery measures for this population.
In March, an independent science panel identified 26 evidence-based recommendations for Southern Resident recovery, including actions to improve the quality, quantity, and availability of Chinook salmon, reduce underwater noise and physical disturbance, and limit the discharge of priority contaminants. These actions are not optional, they are essential if we are to prevent more stories like this one.
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