10/15/2025
Nature’s heartbreaking display of love. 💔
In 2018, an orca mother named Tahlequah (J35) endured an unimaginable loss, carrying her dead calf on her head for 17 days straight, traversing over 1,000 miles through the Pacific Northwest. Scientists dubbed this journey her “Tour of Grief.”
For more than two weeks, Tahlequah refused to release her baby. She balanced the lifeless body on her rostrum as she swam alongside her pod. When exhaustion set in, other orcas stepped in to help, carrying the calf so she could dive for food.
This wasn’t just instinct—it was mourning. Though grief has been observed in other marine mammals, nothing of this magnitude had ever been recorded. Tahlequah’s unwavering vigil not only stunned the world but also revealed a profound depth of emotion that transcends human boundaries.
Her story also cast a spotlight on the plight of the Southern Resident killer whales, one of the most endangered marine mammal populations on Earth. With fewer than 70 individuals left, every birth represents a glimmer of hope, and every loss is a heartbreaking tragedy.
In 2024, Tahlequah experienced another devastating loss when she lost a second calf and once again carried the body, repeating the heartbreaking ritual. Her grief serves as a poignant reminder that love and sorrow are universal, not confined to humanity alone.
Tahlequah’s journey is a symbol of both the unbreakable bond of motherhood and the fragile existence of a species struggling to survive in oceans forever altered by human influence.