Orca Mother Carries Dead Calf For Weeks

The southern resident killer whale, known as Tahlequah, has now lost another calf in what the Center for Whale Research called “devastating” news.
An orca who made headlines for mourning her dead calf in a unique two-week “tour of grief” is responding to her latest deceased newborn in the same way, a heart-wrenching photo shows.
In 2018, researchers observed J35 pushing her dead calf along for 17 days, propping it up for more than 1,000 miles.
Orca researchers hope the Southern Resident population can grow to 80 to 90 whales in the next 50 years, which experts say will help them breathe a sigh of relief.