Spotted Orca Repelling Dead Calf for Two Days

A killer whale whose calf died Tuesday shortly after birth was spotted by pushing its body into the waters off the coasts of the United States and Canada.

The mother was last seen with the calf who died at 7 pm Thursday time (2:00 GMT Friday).

The newborn died Tuesday off Victoria, British Columbia.

Killer whales have been carrying and supporting their dead calves for a week.

The baby's carcass was flowing and was repeatedly recovered by the whale, according to the Center for Whale Research, which studies the southern resident killer whale and is working on its conservation.

A member of the research center team first spotted the newborn swimming with his mother, a whale nicknamed "J35" and other members of the nacelle on Tuesday.

But the calf seemed to die after about half an hour when a team of researchers arrived, said the US-based center.

The mother of the calf was seen carrying the newborn on his forehead and pushing him toward the island of San Juan in the Pacific Northwest near the state of Washington, according to the center.

Whales can travel an average of 75 miles (75 km) a day.

A resident of the island of San Juan, quoted in a statement from the center, said she spotted a group of five or six female orcs at sunset with the dead calf.

They "gathered at the mouth of the cove in a tight and tight circle, staying on the surface in a harmonious circular motion for nearly two hours," she said.

"As the light diminished, I could watch them continue what appeared to be a ritual or ceremony, and they remained directly centered in the moon's radius, even in motion."

Canada and the United States Resident killer whales are endangered. Whales depend on chinook salmon – which has declined dramatically in recent years – for food.

The community of three pods, consisting of some 75 whales, is frequently encountered off the southern end of Vancouver Island in Canada and in the inland marine waters of the state of Washington in the United States.

Research indicates that only about one-third of southern resident killer whales that have been born in the past 20 years survive. No pregnancy in the past three years has been successful in producing viable offspring, says the center.