Southern resident orcas welcome new calf to L pod
Jun 18, 2026, 5:00 PM | Updated: 5:00 pm
The southern resident orcas have welcomed a new calf to the L pod. (Photo courtesy of NOAA via KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of NOAA via KIRO 7)
There’s a new calf in town! Whale researchers confirmed this week that a calf was recently born in the L-pod of the endangered Southern Resident Orcas population.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries West Coast), more observations are needed to confirm the calf’s maternity and sex. Based on the calf’s size, behavior, and morphology, the calf is estimated to be between 1 and 3 months old.
The Center for Whale Research said every calf is a reason for hope.
This is the second new calf documented for the L-pod in the last four months, after researchers tracked one in British Columbia last February.
There are only 77 Southern Resident killer whales left, including the babies.
Researchers say the chances of survival for the first few months are very challenging, because there’s not enough of the chinook salmon they eat.
“While we are excited, we always have this note of cautious optimism. You never know if these whales are going to make it through their first year. And the bigger story for these whales is that this population has really failed to grow, and that’s what they need to be doing to thrive,” added
The baby has been dubbed L130 for now.
