New endangered calf born
Darron Kloster / Times Colonist – Dec 10, 2025 / 11:25 am | Story: 588734
Photo: TAMARA KELLEY, ORCA CONSERVANCY
The new calf born to K Pod was spotted near Shoreline, Washington in Puget Sound.
Researchers are celebrating a new calf born to the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population.
The calf was spotted travelling with K Pod on Tuesday in Puget Sound north of Seattle near Shoreline, Washington.
It’s believed to be the first calf born to K-Pod in three years.
“We spotted a very small and very orange calf among the K14S with the K12S,” the Washington-based Orca Conservancy said in a social media post. “We are very excited about this discovery.”
Though staff of the conservancy were still studying their film, they said the calf appeared to be primarily travelling with K36 Yoda, its likely mother.
Seen from shore, the calf appeared to be robust and energetic, the Orca Conservancy said. “We observed it surfacing often on its own and zipping around the large group of Ks.”
The information is being sent to the Friday Harbor-based Center for Whale Research, where the calf is expected to get an alphanumeric identification, likely K47, as K46 was used in the historical catalogue, the conservancy said.
The Center for Whale Research will confirm the calf’s maternity after it has been observed in three separate encounters.
The most recent census of southern resident killer whales shows a population of 74 individuals across K-pod, J-pod and L-pod.
A calf was spotted with J-Pod in September, but went missing and was presumed dead weeks later.
The southern residents, who primarily eat chinook salmon, are facing threats including scarce food, noise and vessel disturbance and contaminants.
Of the three southern resident pods, the Center for Whale Research said K-Pod has the fewest individual orcas at 14 members. J-Pod has 27 and L Pod has 33.