Photographs taken near Tofino suggest a new calf may have been born in L-Pod of the Southern Resident Orcas.
The Center for Whale Research in the San Juan Islands says the newborn in the photograph appears to be about three weeks old.
CWR hopes to encounter the group soon out on the water to identify the calf’s mother, assess its health, and assign an alpha-numeric designation.
The Orca calf was photographed by Howie Tom of Tofino on June 19, and he posted the photographs on social media.
Tom says he was out looking for Humpback whales when another vessel called out about the sighting, but did not have a camera to capture any images.
He had his camera with him and quickly took some photographs before leaving the area to allow the Orcas to feed without disturbance.
Boaters are required to keep a distance of four-hundred metres between their vessel and resident Orcas.
If confirmed, it would be the first new calf in L pod since L125 in 2021.
The new calf brings the Southern Resident population to 74.
L pod is the largest of the three Southern Resident pods.
