Grieving Killer Whale Who Lost Her Calf in 2018 Has Again Lost a Newborn Female [Video]

In devastating news for the Pacific Northwest population of southern resident killer whales (SRKW), Tahlequah, a 25-year-old member of the group, has lost another newborn female calf.

The mother made headlines seven years ago when she swam with her deceased calf for 17 days around the Salish Sea in an act of grieving. She has two other calves, one 14 years old and another born in 2020, both males.

Southern resident killer whales are a critically endangered population of orcas, and each loss, especially a female, is considered a huge blow to the 73 who remain. According to the Center for Whale Research, it is believed that there are just 23 breeding females left, reported The Guardian.

“The death of any calf in the SRKW population is a tremendous loss, but the death of J61 is particularly devastating, not just because she was a female, who could have one day potentially led her own matriline but also given the history of her mother …