Orca That Carried Her Dead Calf for Weeks in 2018 Is Doing so Once Again

Orca That Carried Her Dead Calf for Weeks in 2018 Is Doing so Once Again
The orca known as J35 (Tahlequah) carries the carcass of her dead calf in the waters of Puget Sound off West Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 1, 2025. Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries via AP
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An endangered Pacific Northwest orca that made global headlines in 2018 for carrying her dead calf for over two weeks is doing so once again following the death of her new calf, in another sign of grief over lost offspring, researchers said.

The mother orca, known as Tahlequah or J35, has been seen carrying the body of the deceased female calf since Wednesday, the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post.