A female killer whale off the coast of Washington state appears to be grieving her dead calf. The endangered orca, given the name Tahlequah, gave birth a week ago and the calf died shortly afterward.
The mother has been keeping its body afloat ever since.
Here & Now鈥榮 Jeremy Hobson speaks with Jenny Atkinson, executive director of The Whale Museum on San Juan Island. The group has a boat on the water and is monitoring the mother from a distance.
鈥淪he鈥檚 carried this calf hundreds of miles and hundreds of hours at this point,鈥� Atkinson says. 鈥淎nd her family is helping her.鈥�
Interview Highlights
On tracking Tahlequah
鈥淲e鈥檝e been out since Tuesday. Our Captain Taylor Shedd has been out there pretty much 10-11 hours each day. And what he鈥檚 doing is just following the family鈥檚 movements at a distance and trying to provide a perimeter of protection to give them extra space during this pretty sensitive time. And what we鈥檙e observing is that this family 鈥� the southern resident community is an endangered population of orcas. They鈥檙e pretty much unique to the Salish Sea and the West Coast of the United States and Canada. And what we鈥檝e found is they鈥檙e really socially connected. It鈥檚 a matrilineal society so they travel with their moms all their lives, and in 鈥� a situation like this, we鈥檝e seen them support one another in ways that are just astounding.鈥�
On the unusual length of this whale鈥檚 grieving period
鈥淚t鈥檚 an interesting question because it鈥檚 what we鈥檝e witnessed as humans, but what we witness as humans isn鈥檛 necessarily the full picture of what they do as a community. So researchers typically watch them during daylight hours, because you can see them. So what we鈥檝e witnessed is a day or so, but it鈥檚 often been a stillborn calf. So one of my questions is, I鈥檓 not a marine biologist, so one of my questions to biologists is 鈥� or anyone 鈥� does grief change once you鈥檝e met the being that you鈥檝e carried? So she carried this for 17 months before it was born. And we know that it swam by her side. So there would have been a bonding, a birthing experience 鈥� it was not stillborn, it was alive. So there is a part part of me that believes that the grief could be much deeper, because they had bonded.鈥�
On concerns about Tahlequah鈥檚 health
鈥淭his is a fish-eating population. Their predominant prey is Chinook salmon, which is an endangered and threatened species in the Pacific Northwest. So they鈥檙e already having trouble finding enough to eat. It鈥檚 a very congested area with a lot of vessel activity from every type, from recreational to commercial to government and military operations. And it鈥檚 also pretty urbanized with very toxic waters, so their immune systems are compromised. So any extra energy she鈥檚 having to expend means she has to find more food. But if she is spending time carrying this calf, it鈥檚 taking away from caring for herself.鈥�
On what Tahlequah鈥檚 grief reveals about the way animals grieve
鈥淭he first thing it tells me is that grief isn鈥檛 owned by humans. If you鈥檝e ever been around animals, you see them do behaviors, it鈥檚 a little different than how we express it, but they definitely seem to express concern and care for their offspring. Orcas are particularly socially connected and emotionally bonded. They share their food. They鈥檙e involuntary breathers, so they have to remind themselves to come to the surface to breathe. So when they go into deep rest, they鈥檙e in physical contact with other orcas in their community and one stays awake to kind of watch out.
鈥淭he thing that鈥檚 amazing about Tahlequah is she鈥檚 been carrying this calf now 鈥� today is the eighth day that she has been carrying this calf. But it鈥檚 not in one location. They鈥檙e traveling the entire inland seas in between British Columbia and Washington state. So they started at the Strait of Juan de Fuca, they鈥檝e gone north to Georgia Straight just off Vancouver city. They鈥檝e gone as far south as Whidbey Island, which is just north of Seattle. They鈥檝e come back up through the San Juans. They鈥檝e done this loop three times.鈥�
On the global response to this story
鈥淥rcas, they are charismatic megafauna. You cannot watch them and not feel a sense of awe and joy. Often in our emotions, the depth of what you feel in joy, you鈥檙e going to also feel in grief, if that makes sense: The more joy you experience, the more ability you have to understand grief. So I think what people are tapping into is these whales give so much joy when we watch them that you鈥檙e going to feel that pain of grief 鈥� particularly if you鈥檝e gone through grief in your own life. You understand that depth of pain. Although I too am trying to understand the depth of her pain.鈥�
The Whale Museum has been sharing updates on its . The whale recordings in the audio atop this post come courtesy of SMRU Consulting.
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