New orca calf born to endangered southern resident pod

The U.S.Centerfor Whale Research has confirmed the sighting of another new calf among the endangered population of southern resident orcas.

The sighting was first reported by Pacific Whale Watch Association crews.

Capt. SpencerDomicoof Legacy Charters on San Juan Island was one of the first to spot the baby.

We were out with theJ16soff the west side of San Juan Island and saw that little fin, saidDomico.

At first we thought it was our New Years baby,J50. But we went about two miles and sawJ50with her mother, so we knew we had another little whale out there and got very excited. Its great that theCentre for Whale Research has confirmed it. Now lets do all we can to restore salmon runs out there and keep this baby fat and healthy.

The new orca has been designated J51. It's J-Pod's second birth in two months. In December, orca J16 gave birth to J50.

New calf about one week old

After spending the last two weeks near the west entrance of the Strait of Juan deFuca, the center says JPod returned to the Salish Sea with the new calf in tow.

This is about the best Valentines Day present you can imagine, said Michael Harris, executive director of the PWWA, which represents 32 whale watching operators in Washington and B.C.

We always try to be cautiously optimistic when we hear about babies, as wild orcas have a high rate of infant mortality, but still, this is wonderful news," Harris said.

The Center for Whale Researchestimates thecalf isabout one week old. Its presumed mother is 36-year-old J19. During the sighting, J19's 10-year-old daughter, J41, was also spotted. Both were reported swimming protectively on either side of the baby,which the center says appears healthy.

Whale researchers are cautious when a neworcacalf is born because about halfdont make it through their first year.

Prior to these two births, the first babyorcaborn in the Salish Sea in two yearsis believed to havedied sometime in September or October.

In December,the pod lost J32, a pregnant mother.

Anecropsyrevealed she died from septicemia after the near full-term calf she was carrying died. Italso disclosed a thin layer of blubber indicating the whale had not been feeding for some time and was likely starving.