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8 days later, Orca whale spotted still carrying dead calf with her

Posted at 12:02 PM, Aug 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-01 12:04:54-04

On Tuesday evening, researchers tracing an Orca whale that has been carrying her dead calf on her nose saw the whale still doing so.

It isn't unusual for Orcas to carry their babies who die for about a day. This is the first time scientists studying the behavior have seen one do it for this long.

The activity is stressful for the 20-year-old whale mother named Tahlequah. EcoWatch reports the baby's carcass sinks, and the mother has to retrieve it and push it along with her nose in sometimes choppy waters.

Tahlequah was spotted Tuesday evening in waters near British Columbia's Southern Gulf Islands, the Seattle Times said.

According to the Seattle Times, this is the first time in three years an endangered Orca has given birth.