Tahlequah (born 1998), also known as J35, is an

orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...

of the southern resident community in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. She has given birth to four known offspring, a male (J47, Notch) in 2010, a female (Tali) in 2018, another male (J57, Phoenix) in 2020, and another female (J61) in 2024. Her second calf, Tali, died shortly after birth, and J35 carried her body for 17 days in an apparent show of

grief Grief is the response to the loss of something deemed important, particularly to the death of a person to whom or animal to which a Human bonding, bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, ...

that attracted international attention. Her fourth calf died within days of her birth and was also carried by Tahlequah.

Name

J35 was given the name

Tahlequah Tahlequah ( ; , ) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-century Cherokee Nation in 1839, as par ...

by The Whale Museum in

Friday Harbor, Washington Friday Harbor is a town in San Juan County, Washington, San Juan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 2,613 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on San Juan Island, Friday Harbor is the majo ...

, as part of their Adopt-a-Whale outreach program. One of her adopters was

Malia Obama The family of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, is a prominent American family active in law, education, activism and politics. Obama's immediate family circle was the first family of the United States from 2009 to 2017 du ...

, daughter of former United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

Life

J35 was born in 1998 to J17 (Princess Angeline), a member of the J pod of the Southern Resident community, and has two living siblings. J35's first calf, a male named J47 (Notch), was born in 2010, and researchers speculated that she

miscarried Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is ...

another calf in the mid-2010s. After the death of her sister J28 (Polaris) in 2016, J35 cared for her two offspring, until one, that was still milk-dependent, starved to death. Her second calf (Tali), a female, was born on July 24, 2018, off

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

; she was alive, but she died within a half-hour of her birth. The infant population and health of the Southern Residents community had declined in the early 21st century, due in part to a smaller supply of

Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Oncorhynchus, Pacific salmon. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, quinn ...

and the presence of polluting substances in the

Salish Sea The Salish Sea ( ) is a List of seas on Earth #Terminology, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the States of the United States , U.S. state of Washingto ...

. J35 carried the calf's body on her

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit ** podium * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ...

while following the pod around the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

and interior waters of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

over the following two weeks. Whale researchers noted that J35 looked emaciated, and other pod members were showing concern for her health. After the seventh day, other members began taking turns floating the calf while allowing J35 to rest. By the ninth day, the calf had shown signs of

decomposition Decomposition is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is ess ...

and was becoming harder to carry. The pod disappeared for several days in early August but were spotted on August 8, with J35 still carrying her calf, Tali, after 16 days. By the next day, after of swimming, J35 released the calf and rejoined the J pod with no apparent signs of malnutrition or ill health. Her unusually long period of grieving attracted international attention and an outpouring of sympathy, comparing her actions to that of a human mother. The ongoing crisis within the Southern Residents community prompted calls for intervention, including

dam removal Dam removal is the process of demolishing a dam, returning water flow to the river. Arguments for dam removal consider whether their negative effects outweigh their benefits. The benefits of dams include hydropower production, flood control, ir ...

s and the increased killing of

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

s who interfere with salmon growth in the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

. Washington Governor

Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...

stated that he supported new measures to address orca-related issues and would work with state and federal officials to find short-term solutions. In July 2020, a drone survey of the J, K, and L pods revealed that J35 showed signs of an active pregnancy. She gave birth to a male calf on September 5 near the San Juan Islands. The calf was named J57 by the Center for Whale Research and nicknamed Phoenix by the museum. J35 gave birth to another calf in December 2024. The calf was first reported by observers on December 20. Whale researchers identified the new calf as female and named her J61 on December 23 but expressed concern about her condition. On December 31, J61 was declared dead after a health study of the Southern Residents; she had been pushed along by her mother and "looked lethargic" on the December 23 and December 24 viewings. On January 1, 2025, J35 was observed near

Vashon Island Vashon () is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. Before the constru ...

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

carrying J61's body. Her mourning period continued for over 11 days; a sighting on February 8 confirmed that she was no longer carrying J61's body.

Name

Life

See also

References

Further reading