Grieving orca still swimming with her two-week dead calf off US peninsula

In this file photo taken Tuesday, July 24, 2018, provided by the Center for Whale Research, a baby orca whale is being pushed by her mother after being born off the Canada coast near Victoria, British Columbia. Whale researchers are keeping close watch on an endangered orca that has spent the past week carrying and keeping her dead calf afloat in Pacific Northwest waters. The display has struck an emotional chord around the world and highlighted the plight of the declining population of southern resident killer whales that has not seen a successful birth since 2015.(Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research via AP)

SEATTLE — An endangered orca was spotted still clinging to her dead calf more than two weeks after her newborn died.

Michael Milstein, a spokesman with NOAA Fisheries, said researchers on Wednesday saw the 20-year-old whale known as J35 carrying her dead young off the tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

The calf died July 24 and the image of the mother whale clinging to the dead calf has struck an emotional chord worldwide.

Milstein said researchers with Fisheries and Ocean Canada also spotted another member of the same pod — the 3 ½-year old whale J50 that is emaciated. The ailing orca was swimming with her mom Wednesday.

A team of experts led by NOAA Fisheries have been searching for the young whale to assess her health and potentially give her medication.   /kga