Grieving Mother Whale Was Carrying Her Calf’s Remains For Many Days After It Passed Away

Nov 12, 2019 by apost team

The power of motherhood stretches to every member of the animal kingdom.

According to NBC News, an orca whale off of the coast of Victoria, British Columbia proved this when she carried her dead calf for days, refusing to let go of her child who had sadly passed away. Identified as J35 by whale trackers, the 20-year-old killer whale was pregnant for 17 months before she finally gave birth. Tragically, the newborn calf stopped moving shortly after birth and died less than one hour after making its appearance.

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It was clear that J35 was grieving the loss of her baby. She continued to push the dead calf with her head to keep it afloat. A newborn whale has not yet developed the blubber needed to keep it on the surface of the water. This made it even more difficult to keep her baby from sinking to the bottom of the waters.

Deborah Giles, science and research director for the nonprofit Wild Orca, told NBC News that J35 understands the social bonds of family. She was clearly bonded to her baby and did want to let it go. Dr. Giles said that the other whales in the family were also aware of the pregnancy. The unique sonar communication of whales allows them to communicate.

According to Dr. Giles, J35 was able to keep her baby afloat despite battling a strong current. It also appeared that she had not eaten for days, as she was visibly emaciated. A lack of salmon in their natural habitat has made it difficult for female orcas to have healthy pregnancies. J35 is part of an endangered population of southern resident orcas that reside in the waters off of British Columbia and the state of Washington.

These pictures of J35 holding her baby on her head will break your heart. After you have looked through the shots, be sure to spread the power of nature to everyone else that you know. What do you think about this story? Tell us in the comments.