Surprise! New calf spotted in southern resident orca L Pod
By Q13 News Staff
Big news for the southern residents!
SAN JUAN ISLANDS, Wash. - Researchers noticed something new when the J, K and L pods were all spotted in the Haro Strait on Tuesday morning: a new calf, L125!
According to Ken Balcomb with the Center for Whale Research, all three pods were seen swimming in the Haro Strait and Swanson Channel. CWR staff then spotted a calf trailing 30-year-old orca, L86, also known as Suprise!
The Center for Whale Research said that L125 s size and shape are typical of a calf in good physical condition. Given its size and fetal folds, it s estimated that the calf is a month to a month-and-a-half old. It is unknown the sex of the new orca calf.
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J40 in front of the Center for Whale Research (Photo: Courtesy Center for Whale Research)
Ken is one of the greats. He is among the first generation of whale researchers. He has spent the past four decades studying the Southern Resident killer whale population of the Pacific Northwest and has shared his house, his yard, his run-down cars, his boat, his beer, his data, his equipment, his enthusiasm, his time, and his ideas with scientists, students, volunteers, and killer whale lovers all over the world.
Ken never followed a well-defined academic career path. There’s been no office with his name on the door, no promotions, no pay raises, no prestigious publications, no institute, no health insurance, and no ambitions beyond learning and sharing as much as he can about whales. As a teenager, he walked the vast and wild beaches of Point Reyes, California, searching for whale bones. After earning