SOOKE, B.C. -- Scientists say a fifth baby has joined an endangered population of killer whales off British Columbia's coast.
The newest calf in the L pod was spotted frolicking with its mother yesterday near Sooke.
The Washington state-based Center for Whale Research says the baby dubbed L122 is the newest member of the pod since last December.
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It says the calf was photographed from a research vessel and measured using a drone that was already doing work on southern resident killer whales.
That population is made up of three pods -- J, K and L.
The center's senior scientist Ken Balcomb says only 35 of the 122 southern resident whales born in the area in the last 40 years are still alive.
