Make that TWO orca calves spotted in Salish Sea

Whale watchers delighted with news in late June of a new orca calf spotted in the Salish Sea. But that report wasn't entirely accurate — there are two calves.

The Center for Whale Research has confirmed that that the southern resident orca L-pod now has two new calves swimming with it.

Researchers were responding to a public tip in late June about a new calf, spotted off Tofino, British Columbia when they came upon a small group of whales with a little baby. They started taking pictures when they saw something was different.

“We’re like, huh, it’s not with the same mom," recalled CWR research director Michael Weiss. "Its dorsal fin looks kind of different. And we finally got a picture of its eye patch, and yeah, that’s a different calf.”

Weiss says they eventually found the the calf that was first reported

The calves have been named L126 and L127. L126 is the first calf born to L119, and L127 is L94's third calf.

Weiss says the mortality rate in their first year is high, given threats from lack of food, toxins, and noise pollution. All are inter-connected. Disturbance and noise pollution make it hard for them to find food. And when orcas are wasting away, that triggers another problem.

Said Weiss, “A lot of these toxins bind to fats, so binds to their blubber and don’t become a huge problem in their bloodstream until they use that blubber for nutrition.”

But for now they're setting aside those worries.

“Any time there’s new calves it’s a moment for this kind of cautious optimism.”

These are the first calves born to the L-pod since 2021. They are thought to be about two months old. Observers say they were both active and social.

No word yet on their sex, but the Center for Whale Research will try to determine that in the coming days.