For nearly two weeks, we have all been transfixed by the scene of a mother orca carrying her dead infant in what can only be interpreted as a display of profound grief and loss.
On July 25th, Tahlequah, known to scientists as J35, gave birth to a daughter who lived for only 30 minutes. The outpouring of sympathy is natural and understandable. Who among us has not lost someone very close to us? And who among us does not relate to the extreme stress and grief associated with a mother losing her child? Motherhood and loss are universal.
Tahlequah carries her dead calf through the busy waters of the Salish Sea off the coast of Victoria BC. Photo by Soundwatch/NMFS
With help from other members of her family, known as the J pod, Tahlequah has been keeping the dead baby afloat as the pod continues to ply the waters of the Salish Sea, off the coast of Seattle, in search of an ever-diminishing supply of food in what is an increasingly depleted, noisy and polluted environment.
As she has struggled to keep the infant body afloat, Tahlequah has sometimes fallen behind her family. Recently, however, she has been seen back together with them. And sometimes she has been observed without the body, but later with it again. Apparently, she may be dropping it and then recovering it from the bottom, or perhaps sharing the burden with other members of the family.
“Just as when someone dies in our own lives, she is neglecting herself because this is taking precedence over everything,” says Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project and a leading expert in marine mammal intelligence.
“It is very familiar to any of us who has lost a family member. And that is why people around the world are feeling such sympathy for her. She carried this baby for 18 months, and then, less than an hour after giving birth, she watched her die.”
Tahlequah in happier times – 2017. Photo by Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research.
And her pod, which has not seen a successful pregnancy in three years, grieves with her.
Barbara King, professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary and author of the book How Animals Grieve, says that grief and loss are not only human qualities.
She notes that there is an extensive body of evidence showing how whales and dolphins – like elephants and chimpanzees – mark the passing of their dead, including keeping vigil around the bodies of dead pod mates or keeping them afloat, as Tahlequah is doing.
Remembering the Captive Orca Mothers, Too
As we join with the orca Tahlequah in mourning the death of her newborn baby, let’s also remember the mothers at marine display parks who, like Tahlequah, have lost their infants to death or forced separation, and in their case without even any close family members to support them in their grief.
Former whale trainer Carol Ray describes the scene when “Baby Shamu” Kalina was separated from her mother, Katina. When Kalina was removed, her mother swam to the side of the pool and stayed there, screaming, screeching and crying.
“There was nothing you could call that beside grief.”
In this same video, former trainer John Hargrove describes what happened when SeaWorld decided to separate Takara from her mother, Kasatka, and ship her across the country to Orlando, Florida. When Kasatka could no longer sense her daughter’s presence in the waters around her, she began to cry out. Her long-range, heart-wrenching vocalizations – a pleading attempt to bring her daughter back to her side – continued long after Takara was gone, testifying to the deep bonds shared between orca mothers and their offspring.
Scenes like these have been repeated, over and over, when mother orcas have either seen their calves die at marine display parks or have had them taken away and transferred to other facilities. Whatever the cause – death or transfer – the grief is real and demonstrable.
Kiska at Marineland.
During her 38 years of life at Marineland, Kiska has suffered the loss of every one of her five children. Their deaths, from 1992 to 2009, likely meant for Kiska the repeated experience of deep despair. People familiar with her report that she used to be a highly vocal whale; they suspect she once called out in an attempt to reach her deceased offspring or former tank mates. Now, as if without hope of ever receiving a response, Kiska is silent.
These hardships are endured by all kinds of cetaceans in marine parks. Maris, a 21-year old beluga whale at the Georgia Aquarium, lived through the death of two of her babies in the span of three short years. Not long after the death of her second child, Maris was found dead of unknown causes.
Tahlequah’s mourning, along with the worldwide sympathy it has engendered, has given us all a moment to reflect on the universality of grief and loss. In the case of whales, both in the ocean and in captivity, it is profound and enduring.
Headline image of Tahlquah carrying her dead infant by Michael Weiss, Center for Whale Research
21 Comments
How come this dear orca cares so much about her dead baby when human mother’s pay money to kill theirs.
After having a personal discussion with Michael he encouraged me to share my story. I asked him where he wanted to place it and he said here so sadly, this is the true story of what we did at SeaWorld:
Great story about the grief mother orcas experience when their calves die or are taken from them both in the wild and at SeaWorld.
What’s astounding to me is that one of SeaWorld’s talking points to this day remains that they do not experience any type of grief when you take a calf away from their mother and move (transport) them to another park.
The steps that we had had to go through to actually trick the mother before a separation could happen is sickening for me to remember but it’s quite complex because they are so smart.
The crane used to lift the whale out of the pool is parked 1 mile from Shamu stadium in the back area at another area of the park. If the crane was turned on BEFORE we asked either the mother or the calf to go the med pool (depended on who was being moved), the mother would refuse to “sep” (separate) and she would also refuse to let her calf or any of the other whales sep either.
So only after the sep was successful then it was radioed in and they would turn it on and drive it to Shamu stadium. The mother and calf immediately exhibited extreme distress and this was after we doped them with tons of Valium- which I never saw have any affect on them.
At the end of my career when I artificially inseminated Takara despite my best efforts to stop it, I knew the plan was once that calf was born they would ship Sakari who was her most recent calf at that time. I told them that when that day came they could not make me be in control of Takara for it. She would be trusting me and because of our relationship and that trust let her calf go the medical pool, only to lose her. I said when that day comes you will have to fire me because I won’t do that to her. After everything we have been through together and our trust was so strong, it would devastate both of us and I know I would have never overcome that.
So bottom line, it’s sickening how they still maintain to the public that it’s not upsetting or distressing to either animal when they are moved from park to park- which they have to maintain to justify flying them all around the country and world.
Takara’s last transport was from Florida to Texas. She was seven months pregnant with Sakari and they took her from her 3 year old calf Trua in Florida. That’s about as bad as it gets and defines true exploitation. I challenge anyone in the captivity industry to justify how that was beneficial to the mother or calf or to anyone other than corporation.
John Hargrove
Sent from my iPhone X
I am currently doing an essay on SeaWorld. I have always felt very strongly about SeaWorld being a bad place. My heart breaks for these animals, especially the orcas. I actually found out orcas have an extra lobe dedicated to emotions and that they feel and understand more emotions than humans. They are very interesting creatures.
I am so disgusted how these animals are treated! They cannot survive in a tank and I wish Fed regulators would get involved to put this torture of whales illegal!!
I am so angry what’s happening to these beautiful animals, and wish there was a law to stop this torture! KISKA
‘WORLD’S LONELIEST ORCA’ DIES
At Marineland Theme Park
officially heartbroken. How can people do this? I. just. will. never. understand how business is more important than life – for as evolved a species as we are, we grow more and more heartless and cruel. thank you for whale watch..for all you do.
I just wish we had some insight on why her calf didnt survive.
Canada a place where whalesong is as ancient as the mist, as deep as the shifting of rock beneath, as needed as the sweet air. Tahlequah’s tale is beyond heart breaking. We must hear the call of the whales. The fish are dying. The food is dying. Without our help, these Orcas are now predicted to become extinct in 5 years. We must act now to save the Orcas.
Please sign our petition to act now to save these amazing whales.
I wish the petition would have worked. I am so sad what happened to KISKA–
‘WORLD’S LONELIEST ORCA’ DIES
At Marineland Theme Park
Since this mama has drawn in so much attention from around the world. you need to just post the struggles that this pod are going through and how people can help ..they need to take down the dams and fix the river way and stop commercial fishing . so the salmon population can get back up so these orca don’t starve to death and stop with the captive ones for a minute and just focus all their attention on these for the moment, since there is so much attention on them right now. that they desperately need because the first comment I read was about the captive once…stop clouding people’s minds with the captive ones right now make them focus on what needs to be done for these ones please
The 2017 Southern Resident Killer Whale Symposium saw more than 200 delegates take part in technical sessions and networking panels, which covered all recent science, discussed potential solutions, and outlined each group’s responsibilities for protecting the southern resident killer whales. The symposium recommended that we immediately close sport and commercial fishing in critical Southern Resident foraging areas. We have started a petition that asks the Canadian government to immediately adopt these recommendations. https://www.change.org/p/elizabeth-may-approve-life-saving-measures-for-southern-resident-orcas-who-now-face-imminent-extinction
I cant even begin to imagine the kind of grief that J35 is feeling. She must be so lost, sad, confused.
What infuriates me is the fact that it had to be the death of her baby girl that is now forcing Gov Inslee and the NOAA to finally start doing something. Why did it have to take so long? Why did we listen long ago?
I responded to some comments on the national geographic coverage of her. All i can say is some people can be so heartless. Laughing about it, blatant ignorance, name calling, praising captivity…..it was sick!
No mother deserves to loss a child…human or animal. I hope that J35 finds peace and the strength to let go. I hope that in my lifetime I can see captive facilities retire and phase out their whales and dolphin shows.
It is completely heart wrenching, watching these sentient, beautiful, living beings, suffering by way of starvation (notwithstanding other critical stressors.) Each day, I search out anything/everything I can find on J35 (Telequah), her baby, and J50 (Scarlet) — any of the Southern Residents — hoping for good news, a light at the end of this very dark tunnel. There is light but it seems to come only in small flickers.
And I do realize I’m ‘preaching to the choir’ here, but we cannot allow these creatures to vanish before our eyes. We just can’t. Extinction is irreversible. Extinction is forever. The alternative? Actually do something, as in, let’s do what we can to *save* them.
#Blackfish #FreeTheSnake #TearDownThoseDamns
*Tahlequah
*Dams
Apologies for the typos. Too quick posting, too slow proofreading.
Also, I have a couple questions:
a) is there a plan to retrieve the calf’s body from Canadian waters? and, b) is there a plan to help J50 there as well?
It’s a shameful indictment on our species of what we do to another. I pray in my lifetime we see the end to whales, dolphins and other marine species on display or held captive. It breaks my heart to see such utter cruelty.
Do we know why this baby died ?
We don’t know specifically. But the Southern Resident orcas have been under severe stress for several years and are now listed as an endangered species. The big challenges they face are a serious lack of food (they only eat Chinook salmon and the supply is rapidly dwindling); environmental pollution, in particular mercury poisoning; noise pollution from the ever-increasing traffic all around them. A full answer to your question would take a lot more space than in this comment, but you can get more info at the Center for Whale Research at https://www.whaleresearch.com/
When are we as a species of human going to step up to the plate and stop this politics of just talking and start “making decisions” NOW to protect our oceans and start being responsible for our destructive decisions of the past. To move forward with honorable decisions for the protection of all who live on this beautiful blue planet.
Please sign this petition that asks the Government of Canada to immediately adopt recommendations made in order to save the severely threatened Orca population. The 2017 Southern Resident Killer Whale Symposium saw more than 200 delegates take part in technical sessions and networking panels, which covered all recent science, discussed potential solutions, and outlined each group’s responsibilities for protecting the southern resident killer whales. The symposium recommended that we immediately close sport and commercial fishing in critical Southern Resident foraging areas.
PLEASE ASK THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TO PLACE AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM ON ALL CHINOOK FISHING, COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL, AND TO ADOPT ECO-BASED MEASURES TO SAVE SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS FROM PERMANENT EXTINCTION.
Please sign and share
https://www.change.org/p/elizabeth-may-approve-life-saving-measures-for-southern-resident-orcas-who-now-face-imminent-extinction?recruiter=612881540&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=fb_send_dialog&utm_term=share_for_starters_page
Is there any way now or in the future to get these mom’s and babies reunited? Lisa Beder
In all reality, that’s not something the marine display parks and aquariums are interested in doing. The whales are transferred between facilities based on business needs, and not on the needs of the animals. But you are certainly at liberty to let these companies know what you think of those decisions.
That being said – it’s very much like how businesses treat people in 3rd world countries – they only care about business needs rather than the needs of the people who work for them for little money. We live in a world where people think they can do this to animals and not care because they just see them as animals and a means to make money. It’s heart breaking to see these poor animals separated or losing their babies especially ones living in captivity. There’s just no amount of words we can say to these companies to be heard because they don’t care. It’s still amazes me that people pay money to go to these places.