It’s a girl! Scientists confirm rare new orca calf is female

Whale scientists have confirmed that a newborn orca spotted last week near Vancouver Island is a girl, raising hopes for the endangered southern resident population.

The new baby killer whale in J pod, called J50 by researchers that designate these whales alpha-numerically, is alive and well, and with its matrilineal family today in northern Georgia Strait British Columbia.

Researchers are still trying to confirm the whale is the baby’s mother, because there is a possibility the baby could belong to J36 — the 16-year-old daughter of J16. The centre says it is working with researchers from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans to obtain facts and photographs that will help solve the mystery.

Southern resident killer whales are considered an endangered species, with just 78 in the waters of B.C. and Washington state, including the new arrival.

In early December, a 19-year-old whale identified as J-32 and a full-term fetus it was carrying were found dead off the shores of Vancouver Island. Another calf died about a month earlier.

Researchers believe the depletion of chinook salmon, which are the whales’ primary food source, has been the major problem in trying to rebuild the southern resident population.

Agencies/Canadajournal