Whale birth confirmed
This new baby whale — the sex has yet to be identified — was born to J-pod and comes only weeks after a seventh calf was born to the three southern resident pods, that one to L-pod.
J-54 was first seen some two weeks ago but the Center for Whale Research (CWR) in Friday Harbour, WA., said it took until last Wednesday to confirm this newest birth.
The mother of J-54 is the 22-year-old J-28; it is the second time she’s given birth — her first offspring is a daughter, J-46, born in 2009. The baby born to L-pod in November, L-123, was born to a first-time mother, L-103, just 12-years-old.
Baby whale boom
It is the first time there has been so many births in a year’s period of time since 1977, when nine births were recorded to the southern resident pods. Since then there have been but, on average, three births per year.
It is believed the birth increases the number of whales in the endangered southern resident population to 84.
While their prospects are improving, there is always concern there will be enough food for the southern resident pods to continue to prosper and for all the babies to survive.
The lack of food — Chinook salmon are their principle source of food — and pollutants have taken a toll on the southern resident pods, so much so that in 2005 they were designated endangered.
