The whale mother who embodied the sheer force of a mother’s love in mourning, Tahlequah, has lost another calf and is carrying its body along the ocean. In 2018, this mother orca gave birth to a calf, which died a few hours later.
Unsplash/Tim Cole
The mother swam with the calf’s dead body for 17 days, constantly nudging the carcass onwards and upwards to prevent it from sinking. Now, in 2025, the mother orca had a new pride and joy to care for, but her happiness would not last.
The new calf was spotted in late December 2024 and was confirmed and pronounced dead by researchers on New Year’s Eve. As of 5 January 2025, the mother orca is once again carrying her dead calf, which is most likely a method of mourning. Before the death, the mother and calf’s unusual behaviour was noted and documented as they feared for their well-being.
Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center of NOAA, confirmed this. This is concerning because these creatures are critically endangered. However, orca pregnancies are very volatile, as a whopping 70% of pregnancies do not go to term due to various factors, such as food security difficulties.
Not to mention the method of mourning and emotional distress that takes a heavy toll on these creatures, Southern Resident orcas need human intervention to protect them from extinction.
Brady Bradshaw, who is affiliated with the Center for Biological Diversity, has made a statement about this tragic death and what it could mean if the correct protective procedures are not put in place:
“It’s devastating to lose another orca calf, and the only remedy to this tragedy is doing much more to help the Southern Resident orcas…”
“Washington’s new recreational boat buffer will help give orcas space and peace to hunt, but state and federal agencies also need to restore wild salmon populations and crack down on pollution so orcas have enough safe food.”
ALSO READ: WATCH: Wikie the orca speaks ‘human’ in eerie recordings
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