An endangered orca pod in the Pacific Northwest region appears to have a new family member.
On Boxing Day, the Centre for Whale Research said photos were taken of a brand new orca calf, who was swimming with “J pod.”
It is the first time the calf has been spotted, leading the centre to believe the calf is “just a few days old.”
The calf was observed near adult female orca J40, which researchers believe is the likely mother.
“We hope to see lots more of this calf in the coming weeks and months, and that both the calf and its mother will be able to thrive,” centre staff said.
The sex of the calf is unclear at this time, according to the centre.
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The southern resident killer whale population is believed to be hovering around 74 for the region.