L111, so far unnamed, joins sisters Moonlight (L83) and Muncher (L91) and nephew L110 as the newest member of the L21 subgroup.
Marina, at age 34, is not only a new mother but also a grandmother. Her last calf, L107, was born in the summer of 2005 but did not survive more than a few months. Based on L111's size and the apparent fetal folds, Center for Whale Research staff believe the calf to have been be only a few hours old when discovered.
Also, Marina was observed by Center staff without a calf in the evening of August 11, additionally indicating that L111 was born less than 24 hours before its discovery. The total number of individuals in L pod has yet to be determined this year, however the Center has proposed that there may be at least two L pod whales missing.
Therefore, this is an important event in L pod and the Center staff is hopeful that the calf will survive. As of December 2007, there are 43 whales in L pod. If L111 returns to the San Juan Islands next summer, it will be officially counted in the population.
New Orca calf
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