NEED TO KNOW
Researchers on a whale watching trip with Green Gold of Norway witnessed an orca whale birth
Krisztina Balotay, a wildlife photographer with Orca Channel, captured photos of the amazing event
The Norwegian Orca Survey noted that Balotay’s photos are some of the first-ever of a killer whale birth
A whale-watching group was treated to a rare spectacle on an excursion in Norway.
On Nov. 2, Orca Channel, a tour company that researches and captures media of Arctic wildlife, shared in a Facebook post that researchers on a recent whale-watching trip with Green Gold of Norway witnessed a killer whale birth.
“A new life – birth of an orca baby,” Krisztina Balotay, a wildlife photographer with Orca Channel, wrote on social media. “Today, on our whale-watching trip, we witnessed something I never would have thought we would.”
According to Balotay, the group of orcas spotted by the researchers in the waters of northern Norway comprised mostly females and juveniles.
“We were floating calmly and watching the feeding, when all of a sudden, close to the boat, there was blood spilling and splashing everywhere,” the photographer added about the trip.
Krisztina Balotay – naturalist/photographer, Orca Channel
Killer whale birth
The dramatic moment was soon followed by sweetness when “a little head popped above water.” That’s when the group realized they just witnessed an orca birth.
“As it turned out, a female gave birth right next to us. We saw the very last push with the baby’s arrival in the world. After the whole group gathered, they became extremely active and formed a protective circle around the calf,” Balotay wrote of what happened next.
The Green Gold of Norway group continued to watch the killer whales react to the birth and celebrate the new arrival for a few moments longer. Balotay took photos of the entire experience, capturing the rare moment on camera for the whole world to see.
“You can see that the newborn’s dorsal fin was still bent as it was in the female’s womb,” Balotay shared. “It was so amazing to watch something like this in the wild. The celebration that went on within the group was astonishing.”
Krisztina Balotay – naturalist/photographer, Orca Channel
Orca whale birth in Arctic Circle
After the whale-watching group left the baby orca and its killer whale crew, the Norwegian Orca Survey kept an eye on the marine mammals to make sure no harm befell the little whale during its first moments of life.
“We wish this little baby a long life. This is something we have never seen and probably never will again. These moments will stay in our hearts forever,” Balotay concluded her Orca Channel post.
The Norwegian Orca Survey provided more details about the birth in its own Facebook post.
Krisztina Balotay – naturalist/photographer, Orca Channel
Orca whale birth
“It was struggling during its first 15 minutes, likely explaining the group’s intense activity, but then it began swimming on its own. Combined with Krisztina’s earlier documentation of blood in the water and the time series of events we recorded, everything strongly indicated that the birth had just occurred. The mother was identified as NKW-591, a known female first identified in 2013,” the survey wrote.
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The research foundation also noted that Balotay’s photos and the media it captured are “the first-ever documentation of a killer whale birth and the newborn’s first hour of life in the wild.”
“Our observations will allow us to identify the individuals involved and understand their roles in supporting the calf during its first moments. We are now working to collate all available data and plan to publish the full documentation as a scientific article in the near future,” the Norwegian Orca Survey said.
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