Southern resident orca calf missing, presumed dead: Center for Whale Research

Southern resident orca calf believed to be dead, researchers say

Researchers believe an endangered southern resident orca calf first spotted in September has died.

Southern resident orca calf missing, presumed dead: Center for Whale Research

FRIDAY HARBOR — The group that has been tracking southern resident killer whales since the 1970s says a calf in one of the three pods is missing and thought to be dead. The Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Wash.

Endangered orcas return to Puget Sound without newborn J64, presumed dead

Almost the entire population of southern resident killer whales gathered in central Puget Sound on Sunday, but the newest member of J Pod, a newborn known as J64, was not among them.

Orca calf believed dead weeks after birth to first-time mother

Researchers watched closely, waiting for the tiny calf to surface beside its mother—but it never did.

Orca calf believed dead weeks after birth to first-time mother in endangered southern resident pod

Researchers watched closely, waiting for the tiny calf to surface beside its mother—but it never did.

Missing calf highlights struggles of Washington’s Southern Resident Orcas

Despite initial optimism about its condition, J-64 has not been seen since October 23, when researchers saw all 27 members of the J-Pod in Canada’s Swanson Channel.