--- title: Orca In 'Deep Grieving' Carries Corpse of its Calf description: An endangered orca that spends time in Pacific Northwest waters is still carrying the corpse of her calf one week after it died. canonical: https://time.com/5353745/orca-dead-calf/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-31T11:28:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:00:40.001Z article:section: Science og:title: A 'Deep Grieving' Orca Is Carrying the Corpse of its Calf og:description: The calf was the first to be born to this group of whales in 3 years og:url: https://time.com/5353745/orca-dead-calf/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt551a182d01888ee9/698936abfb4eac1d118973f5/orca-calf.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2602 og:image:height: 1464 og:image:alt: Orca Calf og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A 'Deep Grieving' Orca Is Carrying the Corpse of its Calf twitter:description: The calf was the first to be born to this group of whales in 3 years twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt551a182d01888ee9/698936abfb4eac1d118973f5/orca-calf.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # An Orca in 'Deep Grieving' Has Been Carrying the Corpse of its Calf for a Week > Sponsored content. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jul 31, 2018 11:28 AM UTC  In this photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. In this photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. David Ellifrit—AP by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jul 31, 2018 11:28 AM UTC SEATTLE — An endangered orca that spends time in Pacific Northwest waters is still carrying the corpse of her calf one week after it died. Experts with the Whale Museum on San Juan Island have been monitoring the 20-year-old whale, known as J35, since her calf died shortly after birth Tuesday. For days now, the whale has been balancing the dead calf on her forehead or pushing it to the surface of the water. Jenny Atkinson, the museum’s executive director, says the orca was still carrying her dead calf Monday afternoon. Atkinson says the orca and her pod are going through “a deep grieving process.” The calf was the first in three years to be born to the dwindling population of endangered southern resident killer whales. 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