On March 1, we welcomed the meteorological first day of spring and a new calf in J Pod! 

 

We received word that J Pod was nearby (off Landbank, San Juan Island), and there was possibly a new addition to the Southern Resident orca family. 

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The Center for Whale Research's (CWR) photo-ID expert, Dave Ellifrit, found the whales near Kelp Reef and confirmed the new addition to J pod. The calf was next to J37, with J47 and J40 nearby. CWR field staff last saw J37 during Encounter #12 on February 11, 2022, and she did not have a calf at that time. We estimate this baby was born within the past few days, given its "lumpy" physical nature.

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Dave captured images of J37 with her new baby traveling in a tight group with other family members. CWR designates this newborn: J59. J59's sex is unknown at this time. Its size and shape are typical of a calf in good physical condition. 

J59 is the first calf born into J Pod since September 2020, when J41 gave birth to J58 (female). 

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The new mother, J37 (born 2001), is part of the J14 matriline and has two siblings, J40 (female, born 2004) and J45 (male, born 2009). She was a young mother, only 11 years old when she gave birth to her first calf in 2012: J49 (male). 

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