New B.C. orca calf a descendent of whale captured by SeaWorld, agency says

A resident orca pod has welcomed a new member to its growing family.

A newborn orca spotted off British Columbia has been identified as a descendent of one of the last killer whales captured and held at SeaWorld, according to an agency that represents more than two dozen whale-watching companies in B.C. and Washington state.

The Pacific Whale Watch Association says the Bigg’s killer whale calf was first spotted among a group of more than a dozen orcas in the eastern Juan de Fuca Strait, south of Victoria, on March 20.

The calf was photographed over the weekend, allowing researchers to estimate it was born earlier this month.

“In the images, you can still see fetal folds, along with distinctive orange colouration,” said Erin Gless, the executive director of the whale-watching association, in a statement Tuesday referring to creases in the new calf’s skin.

“These factors are normal and indicate the calf is quite young, likely a week or two at most,” Gless said.

In all of the sightings, the new calf was swimming alongside its mother, identified as a 14-year-old orca named “Sedna.”

The calf is believed to be Sedna’s first, according to the agency.

Sedna’s grandmother, known as “Wake,” was one of six orcas that were captured and held by SeaWorld in 1976 until a lawsuit forced their release.

“They were the last killer whales to be captured in North America,” the whale-watching association said.

Wake is believed to have birthed eight calves, who in turn had a total of 16 offspring, including Sedna, according to the agency.

“Ralph Munro, assistant to then Washington governor Dan Evans at the time, witnessed the captures while sailing with friends and was appalled,” the organization said. “Munro helped file a lawsuit against SeaWorld, leading to the whales’ release.”

As many as 30 Bigg’s killer whales likely would not have been born without the efforts of Munro, whose death at 81 was announced last Thursday, the same day the new orca calf was spotted, according to the agency.

Marine researchers at Bay Cetology on Vancouver Island estimate there are nearly 400 Bigg’s killer whales in the coastal B.C. region, including 140 calves born in the last decade.

The Pacific Whale Watch Association says the relatively large Bigg’s population is a “stark contrast” to the estimated 73 endangered southern resident killer whales that inhabit the region.