Two newborn whales in Puget Sound

05:53 AM PDT on Wednesday, October 20, 2004

From KING Staff and Wire Reports

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. - There is encouraging news about the Puget Sound Orca population. Whale experts have discovered two baby whales in the past two weeks. Both babies were born to mothers from the L-Pod.

The Center for Whale Research said Tuesday that a whale known as Jelly Roll gave birth last week and a whale called Ophelia gave birth over the weekend.

The sex of the youngsters might not be known until they get older.

Orca researchers said these two babies appear healthier than other calves that were born and died several years ago.

The two births with no deaths so far this year boost the total number for all three Puget Sound pods to 85. The births renew hope for a population that had dropped from 99 to 78 a few years ago.

File

Puget Sound orcas have been declared a "depleted" population under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and "endangered" under Washington state law.

Not counting Luna, who is living alone in Canada, L-Pod now stands at 43 animals, with 22 in J-Pod and 20 in K-Pod.

For now, the L-Pod seems to be in good health and even the experts say we should enjoy them – but from a distance.