By Alicia Graef From Care2

Conservationists on both sides of the border are celebrating the sighting of a new calfamong a critically endangered family of orcas in the Pacific Northwest that’s brought with it some optimism about their survival.

These orcas, who are otherwise known as the southern resident killer whales, live in three distinct pods (J,K and L) that travel through Puget Sound, the Straight of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca during the summer months before migrating to open ocean in the winter.

Despite their popularity and years of protection in the U.S. and Canada, they remain highly endangered and have continued to suffer heartbreaking losses that have brought their numbers to the lowest they’ve been in more than 30 years.

While their advocates continue to work towards enacting changes that will help them survive, the arrival of a new calf has brought a glimmer of hope that all may not yet be lost.

The newborn was just spotted among members of the J pod near Tofino, B.C., by John Forde of The Whale Centre.

Images taken by Forde were sent to the Center for Whale Research (CWR), which keeps an official census of these orcas. According to CWR, more observations are needed to confirm who its mother is, but the organization confirmed the calf is indeed a new addition and estimated it was born in the last three weeks.

For these orcas, a newborn is especially good news. Before this year, they haven’t had a successful birth since 2016. This latest addition is the second to be born this year, following L124, or Lucky, who was born in January.

While these orcas continue to face a barrage of threats ranging from boat noise to pollution, one of their biggest problems now is a lack of their main food source – Chinook salmon, which is also endangered.

Their plight reached international audiences this past summer when Tahlequah carried her dead newborn more than a thousand miles for 17 days, in what scientists called an unprecedented display of grief. Shortly after they experienced another loss when three-year-old Scarlet died, and more are believed to be in poor condition.

While both the U.S. and Canada are taking steps to address these threats and help them, their advocates continue to argue that we need to go farther and are still pushing tobreach four deadbeat dams along the Snake River to restore salmon runs.

The Southern Residnet Killer Whale Task Force, which was established last spring in Washington, is currently evaluating progress on recommendations made to help these orcas, which include breaching these dams, but it remains to be seen whether it will get done.

TAKE ACTION!

You can help by signing and sharing the petition urging officials in Washington to act immediately to breach the four lower Snake River dams.

Photo credit: Getty Images

For more on this story go to: https://www.care2.com/causes/new-baby-brings-hope-for-critically-endangered-orcas.html