But the death in December of J32, an 18-year-old orca known as Rhapsody — who was pregnant with a nearly full-term female calf — is pushing Ken Balcomb closer to despair.

On Tuesday, a day after J32, also named Rhapsody, was photographed breaching off Victoria, British Columbia, marine mammal enthusiasts became engaged in a spirited debate on social media.

He said the loss of J32 marks the fourth death of a Southern Resident orca in 2014. The last surviving southern resident baby was born in August of 2012.

A fear-mongering article based on old statistics and speculation circulated in September 2016, stating that radiation from Fukushima had caused 100% infant mortality among Orca Whales.

But the death this month of J32, an 18-year-old orca known as Rhapsody — who was pregnant with a nearly full-term female calf — is pushing Ken Balcomb closer to despair.

VANCOUVER, B.C. - One of the Puget Sound's endangered southern resident orcas was found dead in Canadian waters this week.The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the 18-year-old male ...

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating after someone removed several teeth from a dead killer whale as it lay on a Vancouver Island boat launch waiting to be examined by biologists.

NOAA scientists say tagging this orca is especially beneficial because they know little about J Pod's winter roaming habits. The satellite tag allows researchers to track J27's movements.

Orca whales were discovered with a toilet paper chemical in their livers and skeletal muscles. It's just the 'tip of the iceberg' for one of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.

The body of a young killer whale was discovered near Vancouver Island on Thursday, the fourth death this year in the endangered southern resident population.