J-pod has a new calf

[pscot]

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/04/another-newborn-orca-seen-in-j-pod/

A new calf has been born into J Pod, one of the three groups of orcas that frequent Puget Sound and the Salish Sea.

The young whale was spotted Sunday in Puget Sound by a research crew headed by Brad Hanson of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Today, Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research designated the calf as J-47 and confirmed that the mother is J-35, a 12-year-old orca known as Tahlequah.

At 12, Tahlequah is a young mother, and many first-born orcas do not survive their first year. Researchers say the reasons for the high newborn mortality may include a heavy dose of toxic chemicals they receive from their moms. But Balcomb said this newborn looks robust and healthy.

“It’s pretty amazing, but there it is,” Balcomb said. “It looks good and is filled out. I’m hoping that the generations (of orcas) coming along now are relatively clean. The ones in the ’60s and ’70s were dirty (with toxics).”

The population of J Pod has now reached 28 and that of the three Salish Sea pods stands at 88 with the birth of six calves within the past year.

[cliffordu]

1. I love this. Crazy about the Orcas.

Saw a tape a couple of months ago where an Orca decimated a great white - a real big one - on the Farrallon (sp?) islands.

The orca had a calf and the narrator thought the whale was defending it's young.

And then the orca calmly ate the liver of the shark, letting the birds and the smaller fish have the rest.

Awesome.

The narrator said that every great white on the Farrallons vanished for the season before the next day was over.

[pscot]

2. I know that when the orcas are around

the salmon make themselves scarce. Nothing kills a bite like blackfish moving in. Eighty-eight is a new high for the north sound orcas, I believe. Now if they could just learn to like sea lion.