SALISH SEA, Wash. – New whale calves are roaming Pacific Northwest waters.
A calf has been born into the K pod family of southern resident orcas for the first time in 11 years.
The Seattle Times reports Deborah Giles, science and research director for the nonprofit Wild Orca, confirmed the birth earlier this week.
Giles said the baby was born to K20, a female also known as Spock.
The new orca was first spotted by a person fishing off the Oregon coast on April 28th.
With the newest birth, the population of endangered southern residents is now 75.
The southern residents are struggling to survive amid several threats, including a lack of adequate Chinook salmon, pollution and underwater noise that makes it harder for them to hunt.
And the first humpback whale calf of the 2022 season has arrived in the Salish Sea.
The Pacific Whale Watch Association says a humpback whale and her calf were spotted in Boundary Pass near the US-Canada border on Monday.
The mother, known as Big Mama, has given birth to six calves in her life and was spotted with the newborn near Hawaii back in February.
Humpback whales generally hang around the Salish Sea for the spring and summer months while they feed on krill and fish.