Southern Resident Orca J-36 Carries Deceased Calf, Highlighting Population’s Continued Struggles

The Southern Resident orcas of the Pacific Northwest are facing a heartbreaking reality. Over the past weekend, J-36 Alki was observed carrying her deceased calf in the waters of Rosario Strait, a powerful reminder of both the emotional depth of these dolphins and the fragility of their endangered population.

Observers from the Center for Whale Research reported seeing J-36 Alki about four miles behind her pod, gently carrying her deceased newborn. The female calf still had an umbilical cord attached, making it unclear whether she was stillborn or had died shortly after birth.

This act mirrors the famous grief display of J-35 Tahlequah, the J-Pod matriarch who carried her dead calf for 17 days in 2018, traveling over 1,000 miles. Earlier this year, J-35 Tahlequah was seen on a second “Tour of Grief,” carrying another dead calf, J61, for at least 11 days. J61 died at just weeks old, with observers spotting her for the first time alongside J-35 Tahlequah in early December 2024. Experts believe these “tours of grief” reflect anguish, highlighting the remarkable emotional lives of these marine mammals.

High Calf Mortality and Environmental Threats

Tragically, the Southern Resident population continues to face extremely high calf mortality, with 69 percent of pregnancies ending in loss. Scarcity of high-quality Chinook salmon—the orcas’ primary food source—is the largest factor, compounded by vessel noise, pollution, and habitat degradation.

With a gestation period of over 17 months, every birth is critical to the survival of this endangered population. While the loss of any orca calf is heartbreaking, the loss of a female calf that this population desperately needs in order to help sustain (and grow) itself is a downright tragedy.

Currently, Southern Residents number only 74 individuals—a stark decline from the roughly 100 thought to exist in the early 2000s. This decline is tied not only to environmental pressures but also to decades of orca captures for entertainment. Combined, these two threats have made it an uphill battle for the population to bounce back to its original numbers.

The History of Orca Captures in the United States

Orcas have been on public display for entertainment since the 1960s. Today, 21 orcas live in marine mammal parks across the US, but their path into captivity was traumatic and often deadly.

In 1965, Namu, a killer whale accidentally captured in a fishing net in British Columbia, was sold to the Seattle Marine Aquarium for $8,000. Public fascination with Namu sparked a wave of orca captures from the Salish Sea, largely to supply SeaWorld. One of the most infamous cases involved capturing a calf and killing her mother with a harpoon; the calf became the original Shamu.

During the 1970 Penn Cove Captures, men used boats, planes, and explosives to round up young orcas from the wild. The killer whales’ cries for their mothers were heartbreaking, and at least four calves drowned after failed rescue attempts. Public outrage eventually led Washington State to regulate captures, but loopholes allowed SeaWorld to continue until the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was fully enforced.

Even after regulations tightened, orca captures continued in Alaska and later Iceland, producing some of the most famous captive orcas, including Tilikum and Keiko. More than 200 orcas were taken from the wild, including one-third of the Southern Resident population. The long-term consequences are still felt today, with Southern Residents endangered and struggling with declining salmon, noisy waterways, and poor water quality.

Lolita (also known as Tokitae) was the last surviving orca from the Southern Resident captures living in captivity. She had spent more than 50 years at the Miami Seaquarium in the smallest orca tank in the world and tragically passed away in 2023 before she could be sent to a sanctuary. Her mother, L25 Ocean Sun, and siblings still swim freely with the L-Pod (a sect within the Southern Resident population) today.

Why This Matters

J-36 Alki’s actions are a reminder of both the intelligence and emotional depth of orcas and a visible cry for help. The Southern Residents have survived decades of exploitation, both in the wild and in captivity, and now, it is our responsibility to protect their future so that generations to come can witness the majesty of these extraordinary dolphins in their natural homes.

If we want to protect the Southern Resident orca population, we have to change the way we treat the animals we share this planet with. By supporting the SWIMS Act, you can help phase out the exploitation of orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales and make it illegal to capture and breed these animals for public display.