Back in 2018, a southern resident orca made international headlines. The whale—named by researchers as Tahlequah but also commonly identified as J35—was spotted pushing her dead baby through the ocean waters of the Salish Sea, holding it aloft to prevent the dead orca from sinking. It was a heartbreaking sight, and all who followed the story were reminded of the deep emotional complexities of these highly intelligent marine mammals.
At Harbor Breeze Cruises, we care about whale populations in oceans around the world. Tahlequah whale’s story resonates with our captains and crew because we spend our days on the Pacific Ocean in search of whales and other marine mammals. By bringing people closer to these magnificent creatures, we aspire to instill in them a strong appreciation of these creatures and their natural habitats.
This blog post will share details surrounding Tahlequah whale’s latest loss and her remarkable resilience as she navigates the New Year without a baby orca by her side.
According to WorldAtlas, orcas (also known as killer whales) are among many species such as lemurs, elephants, and honeybees that live in what we call a matriarchal society. This means that when an orca mother like Tahlequah gives birth to her offspring, that baby orca will stay with its mother throughout its entire life.
The interwoven societal structures and the bonds that orca mothers share with their offspring speak to Tahlequah’s overwhelming grief. In 2018, she carried her dead orca for a total of 17 days, trekking more than 1,000 miles. This journey reflected the magnitude of the loss not only for Tahlequah whale but also for her entire pod.
Researchers—including those at the Center for Whale Research (CWR)—celebrated (cautiously) when Tahlequah was spotted on December 20, 2024, near the Puget Sound area with a new baby orca. Four days later, CWR was able to confirm that it was a female, and this calf was named J61.
J61’s birth was wonderful news not only for Tahlequah but also for the future of her pod, as females are desperately needed to reproduce and save this species from extinction. An article posted by Science X states, “The southern residents are the orcas that frequent Puget Sound. The families live in the J, K and L pods and are endangered, with only 73 orcas in the population. They face numerous threats, including lack of salmon, especially Chinook; too much vessel noise and disturbance, which makes it harder for them to hunt; and pollution in their food.”
Over the holiday season, scientists and researchers kept a close eye on Tahlequah and her baby orca. They had become increasingly worried for the calf’s survival based on the behaviors they were recording. In a Facebook post published on Christmas Eve, CWR wrote, “Early life is always dangerous for new calves, with a very high mortality rate in the first year. J35 is an experienced mother, and we hope that she is able to keep J61 alive through these difficult early days. CWR, along with the rest of the research community, is eager to conduct follow-up observations of the calves’ behavior and physical condition when possible.”
By New Year’s Day, the baby orca was dead.
Tahlequah whale was spotted “pushing around the baby whale’s carcass just north of Alki Point, a neighborhood in western Seattle and a peninsula that feeds into Puget Sound,” per an article published in USA Today. Furthermore, The New York Times reported that “Tahlequah is using much of her energy to cling to the dead calf, which weighs about 300 pounds, and she is unable to forage for food, scientists said during a news briefing on Thursday. They said that her closely knit pod was supporting her. Other female orcas, especially her sister, have been observed to be consistently at her side.”
In a news report broadcast by KING 5 Seattle, a representative from the Orca Network stated that “we haven’t done enough” to help resident orcas survive. Removing dams and restoring Chinook salmon populations were listed as crucial steps that can be taken to spare mother whales like Tahlequah from having to experience these types of losses in the future.
As we mourn for Tahlequah whale and her baby orca, we are reminded of the importance of advocating for southern resident orcas as well as all whale species in general. If you’d like to try to spot a whale in its natural habitat within the Pacific Ocean, we hope you’ll consider joining us on a whale-watching cruise.
Harbor Breeze Cruises proudly partners with Aquarium of the Pacific educators so they can help you learn more about conservation efforts and other topics related to whale and other marine wildlife. You can purchase your whale-watching tickets online or via phone by calling 562-983-6880.
