The Centre for Whale Research (CWR) says a nearly six-month-old Southern Resident Killer Whale calf is a girl.
CWR says J58, which was born to J41 last September, was photographed by Jeanne Hyde rolling in the water over the weekend, exposing her underside and revealing her gender.
The Center for Whale Research confirms an approximately six-month-old J Pod orca from the Southern Resident Killer Whale population is a girl. Photo courtesy Jeanne Hyde.
“New females in the Southern Resident killer whale community are critical to the population’s sustainability,” the CWR said on its website.
J58’s birth came shortly after J Pod had welcomed another baby orca, J57, a calf to J35 and later deemed a boy.
In February, CWR confirmed a new baby orca had been born, L125, the offspring of L86.
At the time, scientists said J57 and J58 were observed and looked to be doing well.
According to the CWR website, the southern resident orca population was 74 as of Dec. 31, 2020.
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