Orca’s ‘tour of grief’ over after 17 days of carrying dead calf

VANCOUVER — An endangered orca’s “tour of grief” is over after she spent nearly three weeks towing her dead calf around the Pacific Ocean, researchers said Sunday.

The Center for Whale Research said the killer whale, known as J35, was spotted off the western coast of San Juan Island, Washington, without her baby while she chased a school of salmon with her podmates for about a kilometre.

The behaviour displayed by J35 has researchers stumped.

Dr. Martin Haulena, chief veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium, said a one- or two-day “mourning period” is common in many cetacean species such as whales and dolphins, but the 17-day journey was distinctly strange.

“No one really knows why moms carry their calves to begin with,” said Haulena from his home in Point Roberts, Washington. “These kinds of things are very hard to talk about or prove.”

Haulena said that when cetaceans give birth, the mothers will typically “slipstream” behind the calf and push it toward the surface, ensuring it will get air. When calves are stillborn or die shortly after birth, Haulena said the mothers instinctively drive the calf upward, and might continue to do so for 48 hours.

He said while it might appear J35 is displaying human-like emotion, it’s too difficult to distinguish between actual animal emotions and what humans project onto them.

“I think sometimes we dishonour animals by giving them human feelings, or human rules and laws,” said Haulena. “You can’t judge another species by that.”

The centre says J35 appears to be in good health based on telephoto images, in spite of concerns she might not have been able to forage for food while carrying around the carcass.

The centre said the carcass likely sank to the bottom of the Salish Sea, and researchers might not get a chance to perform a necropsy.

Paul Cottrell with Fisheries and Oceans Canada was relieved to see J35 release the calf and return to her regular activities such as hunting.

“We’re really happy. It’s so important that J35 does move on and it took a long time,” said Cottrell from Vancouver.