Grieving whale seen pushing another dead calf
a killer whale, Which caught the world’s attention in 2018 It was seen mourning again when it was seen pushing the dead body of its newborn calf for 17 days.
According to the Center for Whale Research, the whale, known as Tahlequah, has lost another calf and is again undergoing birth control.
Tahlequah has been seen this time off the coast of the American state of Seattle.
Killer whales have been known to carry dead calves for up to a week, but in 2018 scientists said Tahlequah had set a “record”.
Whale Research Center said The death of any calf was a “tremendous loss”, but it also said the death of Tahlequah’s newborn was “particularly devastating” given her history.
The center, which studies the Southern Resident killer whale and works on its conservation, said Tahlequah has now lost two of its four documented calves – both of which were female.
Both Canada and the United States list the southern resident killer whale as endangered.
The whales depend on Chinook salmon for food – which has declined dramatically in recent years.
Failure to reproduce is linked to nutrition and access to these salmon, according to Research from the University of Washington,
Whales can travel an average of 120 km (75 mi) a day.
In 2018 Tahlequah was observed pushing a dead calf off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia.
