A southern resident orca was seen carrying her dead newborn calf near Sombrio Point on Vancouver Island on Saturday, Oct. 3, according to the Center for Whale Research. Researchers say it is the second time the whale, J31, has been observed carrying a dead calf in the past decade. Researcher Mark Malleson watched J31 and members of her family in the Strait of Juan de Fuca for about half an hour. The mother held the calf over her nose and lightly gripped one of its fins in her mouth, said Michael Weiss, the center’s research director. It is not known whether the calf was stillborn, died shortly after birth or had been carried to full term, the center said. “Because that relationship is so strong and important to their lives, it makes sense they wouldn’t immediately be able to let go of that calf’s body,” Weiss said. J31 was also seen carrying a dead calf in 2016. She has a surviving daughter, J56, born in 2019. Southern resident orca mothers and their offspring maintain close bonds throughout their lives, Weiss said, even after offspring have calves of their own. The sight recalls the losses experienced by another southern resident, Tahlequah, or J35, who carried her dead calves in 2018 and 2025. Those events drew international attention to the endangered whales’ struggles. About two-thirds of southern resident pregnancies are unsuccessful, Weiss said, and reproductive losses have increased over the past 30 years. The population numbered 74 whales as of 2025, divided among the J, K and L pods. Southern residents are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The whales depend heavily on Chinook salmon, which have declined. Salmon fat is especially important to nursing mothers, Weiss said, while low numbers and smaller fish can contribute to nutritional stress and reduce the chances of a successful pregnancy. Chinook salmon face habitat loss, changing stream flows and warmer water linked to climate change. Southern resident orcas also carry persistent pollutants, including PCBs, that remain in the environment long after their use was banned. The chemicals accumulate in whale fat and can pose added risks when food is scarce, Weiss said. “For a population as small as the southern residents, the successful birth and survival of every calf matters,” the Center for Whale Research said.