‘Very lumpy and skinny’: Endangered Southern Resident orca calf emaciated, stopped breathing

An endangered Southern Resident orca calf has been seen emaciated and struggling to survive in the Puget Sound.

This comes just weeks after the calf was seen swimming with mom L-90 in a drone video.

On Friday, the Center for Whale Research announced that biologists observing the endangered pod saw the small emaciated calf on two occasions.

A field biologist from the Center for Whale Research (CWR) observed orcas from the L Pod and K Pod on October 5 and 6, when he immediately became concerned about the calf.

The biologist initially noted that he was unsure if the calf was the same one he observed two weeks earlier, but said, “This calf appeared to be in a very different state compared to the prior observations.”

The calf was described as lumpy and skinny.

CWR biologists took pictures of the orca and received confirmation that it was the orca calf, L-128, he had observed in the weeks prior. L-128 was born sometime around mid-September and was given just a 50-50 chance of survival.

One of the adult orcas carried the calf to the boat and began to jiggle the calf.

The biologist believed the calf had stopped breathing and that the wiggling attempt by the adult was an attempt to revive it.

CWR biologist returned the following day but did not see the calf or the adult orca.

At this time, CWR biologists are not able to categorize the calf as deceased or missing.

This story is developing and will be updated.

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