CNN —Tahlequah, the mother orca denoted as J35 who captured hearts worldwide in 2018 by carrying her dead calf for 17 days and over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), is once again displaying a similar act of mourning. The Southern Resident population is noted as “one of the most critically endangered populations of marine mammals” in the United States, according to researchers. Candice Emmons/NOAA FisheriesThis act of grief raises concerns among researchers, including Weiss and Hanson, for its physical and emotional toll on Tahlequah as a member of the highly vulnerable Southern Resident population. While no significant data are available to suggest why Tahlequah may have lost two calves within her lifetime, orca pregnancies are fraught with challenges. Nearly 70% of pregnancies in the Southern Resident orca population, which Tahlequah and her offspring belong to, result in spontaneous abortions or very early deaths, Weiss said.

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Persons: CNN — Tahlequah, Michael Weiss, Brad Hanson, ” Weiss, Candice Emmons, Weiss, Hanson, Tahlequah, orcas, ” Hanson Organizations: CNN, Puget, Atmospheric Administration, Center for Whale Research, Northwest Fisheries Science Center of NOAA, Puget Sound, Southern, NOAA Locations: Washington, United States