There’s a new calf on the block.
A transient orca calf less than a week old was spotted swimming off the coast of B.C. Monday, according to the Transient Killer Whale Research Project.
The calf was seen travelling with four other transient orcas just off San Juan Island.
Fetal folds show the animal was just recently born, according to the research group.
It said the group of transient whales were swimming erratically and chasing harbour porpoise.
The calf would be the first for the female orca it was swimming alongside, researchers said.
The killer whales were spotted by Centre for Whale Research volunteer Jane Cogan and Maya Legacy naturliast Heather MacIntyre, who identified them as belonging to pod T038, according to photographer Alisa Schulman-Janiger.
"They were elusive, swimming erratically while chasing harbor porpoise," Schulman-Janiger said. "Long dives, very difficult to photograph."
The transients have seen a few births in the last two years, a sign that is "encouraging for the transient population," according to Victoria-based researcher Josh McInnes.
"There are still a lot of issues these whales face and calves have a high death rate in their first six months," he said. "Transients differ compared to the southern resident orcas in regards to population trends in recent years."
