Starving orca J50 spotted, reunited with family

SALISH SEA, Wash. – Orca J50 has been spotted in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is now reunited with her family, according to Soundwatch.

Biologists from NOAA Fisheries were left wondering if the starving orca was alive when she did not return with her family from the West Coast of Vancouver Island to Salish Sea over the weekend.

Orca J50, also known as Scarlet, was struggling to keep up with her pod for the last several days. She was last spotted on Thursday, August 30 lagging behind mother J16 and brother J26, who were already behind most of the J Pod by about three nautical miles. J50 was lagging by about a half-mile from her family.

The standard for determining the loss of any orca is to spot the whale’s family group multiple times without them. This rule was being considered to confirm Scarlet's status.

The orca has lost a great deal of weight in recent months, according to NOAA Fisheries. Her condition was categorized as ‘grave’, with a team of biologists trying to support the starving whale through several health assessments and treatments.