Emaciated orca calf spotted off Vancouver Island, researchers say
Just a couple of weeks after a new southern resident killer whale calf was first seen, its health appears to have taken a bad turn.
The U.S.-based Center for Whale Research announced the new L-Pod calf, named L128, on Sept. 16, and said researchers “did not note anything obviously wrong” with it at the time.
The story was different when field biologist Mark Malleson spotted the calf off Vancouver Island on Oct. 6.
L128 was emaciated and “looked far from healthy,” the centre said in a statement Friday. “The calf appeared lumpy and skinny.”
Researchers said the photos Malleson took of the calf show an “obvious decline” and the shape of its skull is visible. The small calf’s mother, L90, was foraging for food nearby, and the baby was with another orca from the pod, L83, which swam toward the boat with the calf draped across her nose.
“As she carried the calf down the side of the boat, Mark’s heart sank — he was certain the calf had stopped breathing,” the statement reads. “L83 jiggled the calf, as if desperately trying to revive it. As she continued past the stern of (the boat), Mark thought he saw the calf take a faint breath and return to her side.”
Researchers described the behaviour as “concerning,” with the calf remaining limp for long periods of time.
The centre added it’s unclear why L128 was not with its mother.
A team went back on the water the following day, but did not see L83, L128 or L90. The CWS said it is not categorizing the calf as missing or dead, as “more data is needed to confirm this young whale’s fate.”
The centre released its latest census of the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population last week, which saw a decline from 75 orcas in 2023 to 73 this year. As of July 1, the J Pod had 25 individuals, the K Pod 15, and L Pod 33 (not including L128), according to researchers.
The only southern resident calf born during the July 2023-July 2024 census period, J60, died after a short life researchers described as “strange and tumultuous.”
“This population needs every new addition it can get, and the loss of a calf is always tragic,” the CWR wrote Friday. “For L90 in particular, the loss of her first documented live-born calf would be a major blow.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
'There is no electricity': Canadian travellers in Cuba urge caution in hurricane's wake
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
'There was no stopping this baby from coming': Woman gives birth while aboard Newfoundland ferry
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
Volkswagen models recalled for airbag safety precaution
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
Canmore wildlife and landscape defender Karsten Heuer dies peacefully at 56
Canmore conservationist Karsten Heuer, who was a biologist, park ranger, author and activist, has died.
America votes: How celebrities are reacting to Trump's decisive victory
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
3 Winnipeg police officers charged with breach of trust, theft
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation