Orca J35 No Longer Carrying Dead Calf

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA - After 17 days carrying the body of her dead calf, orca J35, also known as Tahlequah, was photographed over the weekend alone. J35 was seen in the Haro Straight between the San Juan Islands and British Columbia feeding on salmon, according to the Center for Whale Research.

J35 gave birth to a calf July 24 near Victoria, B.C. The calf died two days later, and J35 carried its body for more than two weeks. Images of J35 mourning her dead calf were seen around the world, underscoring the plight of orcas living in the increasingly crowded Puget Sound area.

"This afternoon at 1407 Pacific Daylight Time, J35 vigorously chased a school of salmon with her pod-mates in mid-Haro Strait in front of the Center for Whale Research for a half mile - no longer carrying the deceased baby that she had carried for at least seventeen days and 1,000 miles," the Center for Whale Research wrote in a bulletin Saturday.

Although her calf died, J35 appears to be in good health. Spotters noted that she was acting "frisky" and her body appeared to be in good shape. Researchers had feared she was putting her health at risk while carrying her calf.

The orca pods that live part-time in Puget Sound - the southern resident orcas - have not had a successful birth in three years. Whale researchers have called this phenomenon a "dead baby boom."

"The carcass has probably sunk to the bottom of these inland marine waters of the Salish Sea, and researchers may not get a chance to examine it for necropsy," whale researchers wrote.

Caption: A pod of Orca whales are seen off St Heliers Bay on June 24, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty Images