Baby killer whale with peachy coloring seen bonding with family

A peachy-colored baby killer whale was seen bonding and socializing with her family off Washington, drone footage shows.

The endangered calf, J-62, was filmed during a Feb. 17 encounter off San Juan Island in the Salish Sea, the Center for Whale Research said in a March 4 Facebook post.

The nonprofit said it used a drone and got aerial footage of some J pod members, including J-41, J-51, J-58 and J-56. Researchers suspect J-41 is the calf’s mother, McClatchy News reported.

Video shows the calf swimming closely with the other orcas.

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At one point, J-62 is seen rolling and splashing in the water over another whale. The female calf is easy to spot because of her small size and peachy-orange coloring.

Instead of the classic white, calves are born with a peachy color because they have a thinner blubber layer, so the blood vessels are closer to the skin’s surface, the nonprofit said.

The color will eventually fade as she gets older and becomes more insulated with blubber, typically within a year, according to the Georgia Strait Alliance, an environmental organization.

“Phenomenal. The drone footage is so brilliant, gives such an insight, I love it,” one person commented on Facebook.

This calf was first spotted on New Year’s Eve, according to a Jan. 1 Facebook post. She appears to be “filling out and acting normally,” the nonprofit said.

What to know about the orcas

Southern Resident killer whales were listed as endangered species in 2005 and are listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

These whales are made up of three groups: J, K and L pods. They spend summer and fall months in the Puget Sound and in the waters off southern Vancouver Island, NOAA said.

J pod frequents the western shore of the San Juan Islands.

“While most other killer whale populations are doing well, the Southern Residents are among the world’s most endangered marine mammals,” the federal agency said.

Lack of prey (mainly Chinook salmon), chemical pollution and noise disturbances from vessels have all contributed to a decline in their population, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Additionally, for this whale population, 69% of births fail, according to a study published by researchers from the University of Washington.