Endangered southern resident killer whales welcomed a new male to the pod over the Christmas week.
On Thursday whale researchers in Puget Sound were able to get a good look at a photo of the newborn, known as J60, and confirmed its sex.
Biologists and whale experts say it’s a tough world for a baby orca – many die in their first year because the southern resident population has had difficulty for years finding enough Chinook salmon to maintain its numbers. There are around 75 individuals in the population, down from 98 in 1995.
Around two-thirds of southern resident pregnancies end in loss because there isn’t enough salmon for the orcas to eat, researchers say, pointing out they also have to deal with pollution and underwater boat noise.
