New orca calf spotted off Washington coast
Feb 26, 2015, 10:30 AM | Updated: 11:12 am
A newborn orca was spotted swimming with L Pod Wednesday off the coast of Washington. (Photo Courtesy of NOAA Fisheries)
(Photo Courtesy of NOAA Fisheries)
A new calf was identified swimming with a pod of orca whales off the Washington coast Wednesday morning.
A biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they spotted the calf on Wednesday with other whales in the “L” pod, one of three families of southern resident killer whales that frequent inland Washington waters.
Related: Scientists spot 2nd baby orca in endangered pod in 2 months
The calf was sighted about 15 miles off Westport, according to NOAA Fisheries. NOAA biologist Brad Hanson said in a telephone interview Thursday that the baby looks “great.”
The calf has “unique orange-ish” color on white areas, NOAA reported.
“The calf looked very energetic.”
Employees of NOAA have five more days on their cruise and will continue to observe the calf.
It’s the third baby born to the whale pods in recent months, bringing the Puget Sound’s endangered population to 80, still dangerously low.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
