14 DAY TRIAL // Just a few days ago, folks with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that, towards the end of 2014, an endangered pod of killer whales known to swim along the coasts of US and Canada had welcomed a new member.
The calf, featured in the photos accompanying this article, was first spotted on December 30, 2014, in the waters off Puget Sound, a Pacific Ocean inlet that stretches along the coast of Washington, US. It is now known as J-50.
Not long after documenting the birth of the baby killer whale, wildlife researchers managed to have a closer look at it. It was thus determined that the young marine mammal is a young lady in the making, Live Science tells us.
Many killer whale calves die before even celebrating their first birthday. Still, researchers reassure that the baby orca born to the pod inhabiting waters off Canada's and the US' coastline appears to be in good health condition and quite happy.
Experts with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that the young whale's mom could be either a 43-year-old female named J-16 or a 16-year-old one known as J-36. Hopefully, it will not be long until they manage to sort out this mystery.
