Killer whales, or orcas, have long been recognized as some of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean. Known for their ...

Mother orca Tahlequah has been carrying her dead calf, a daughter, for at least 11 days, according to local news outlets.

In 2018, an orca in the Pacific Ocean’s Southern Resident population named Tahlequah refused to let go of her dead calf, ...

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.

Mother orca 'appeared to be trying to keep it (calf) from sinking' off Canada's Vancouver Island, says Center for Whale ...

Tahlequah previously carried another dead newborn for 17 days in 2018. Here's what she's taught us about how orcas deal with death.

The Center for Whale Research first became aware of the new calf, named J61, on Dec. 20 Maya Sears, NMFS/NOAA Permit 27052 Tahlequah, the killer whale who carried her dead calf and swam with him ...

"The team, including multiple experienced killer whale researchers, have expressed concern about the calf's health based on the behavior of both J35 and J61," the Center for Whale Research wrote ...

Have you ever wondered whether your dog or cat experiences feelings of joy and sadness? How about whether or not wild animals love and grieve? Barbara J. King, an emerita professor of anthropology at ...

The Center for Whale Research did not specify what sparked the concern, but the Seattle-based Orca Conservancy wrote on social media last year that researchers believed J61 was born prematurely.

whose doctoral research focused on orca social structure, said via email. The loss of a calf is not only devastating to Tahlequah but for the rapidly declining population of Southern Resident orcas, ...

The center's research director, Michael Weiss, estimated that only 50% of orca calves survive their first year.The center described the death of J35's calf as particularly devastating — not only ...