Researchers are celebrating the birth of a new orca calf in the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population — a rare bright spot for the struggling J pod.

The Center for Whale Research (CWR) confirmed that J42, a 16-year-old female, has given birth to her first calf, now designated J64.

The young whale was first spotted on Sept. 18 by observers with Orca Network and SeaDoc Society, and later confirmed by CWR during a follow-up encounter in the Georgia Strait on Sept. 23.

“The calf was consistently traveling alongside J42 and exhibited surfacing patterns indicative of nursing,” CWR said in a Facebook post last week. “Along with the information that J42 was heavily pregnant prior to this calf appearing, this makes us confident that J42 is J64’s mother.”

The baby orca appeared he

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