More Humpback Whale Calves Than Ever in These Waters

There has been a record number of humpback whale calves being born in the Salish Sea, a marginal body of water of the Pacific Ocean, marking positive news for the impressive mammal’s survival.

“2021 has been a banner year for female humpbacks coming into the Salish Sea with new calves,” says Wendi Robinson, naturalist with Puget Sound Express. “Calves only travel with mom for a year or so and then they’re on their own. Once they’re familiar with our waters, they will often return year after year to feed.”

According to the Pacific Whale Watch Association, a total of 21 calves were born in 2021 – compared to only 11 in 2020 – in the Salish Sea, an inland waterway located in the  U.S. state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia. This rise in birth can be due to an abundance of food for the whales, and to a growing number of reproducing adults.