Encounter #003 • February 6, 2009 • Two new calfs • J44 and L112

J44 was first documented by Ken Balcomb on 6 February off the Victoria, British Columbia waterfront traveling with two adult females in J pod, J17 and J28. It could not be precisely determined if J44 is the first documented calf of J28, a sixteen year old female, or the most recent calf of J17, a thirty-two year old female that is the mother of J28. We do know that the family bonds in this population of whales are quite strong, and it is not unusual for grandmothers to baby-sit, or perhaps even wet nurse their grand offspring. We can see from the creases on the right side of J44 that it was born recently, perhaps in mid to late January 2009. This calf appears to be quite healthy and vigorous, and we look forward to documenting its return with J pod this spring.

L112 was first documented by Morris Grover on 21 January off Depoe Bay, Oregon, and later documented by Ken Balcomb February 6th off the Victoria, British Columbia waterfront travelling with adult female L86, an eighteen year old female. If L112 is the calf of L86. It is the younger sibling of L106, a boy calf born to L86 in 2005. Both calves appeared healthy and vigorous during the February 6th encounter, and we look forward to documenting their return with L pod this spring.

Aside from being simultaneously seen with their respective mothers, the new calves can be distinguished and individually identified by the pattern of the "eyepatch" shape above the eye. This "eyepatch" is creamy colored in very young whales, but becomes whiter with age.

Calves in this species are about eight feet long and 400 pounds at birth, and grow rapidly, filling out the creases from their "fetal folds" within a few weeks if feeding conditions are good. Adult females in this population are about 18 to 22 feet long and weigh about 8,000 to 11,000 pounds. Adult males are typically larger, but in spite of their size are "momma's boys", staying with their mother throughout life.