Transient orcas welcome a newborn calf in Hood Canal waters

DABOB BAY, Wash. - A family of transient orcas visiting Hood Canal has a healthy newborn calf cavorting about with them, says local whale-watching group Puget Sound Express.

The baby orca brings the number of whales in the pod, known as T65A, to six.

They have been traversing Dabob Bay and other waters of Hood Canal for several days. Unlike resident orcas, who feed on salmon, transient orcas hunt for harbor seals and sea lions to eat.

The whales are silent while hunting - but after a successful kill, they feast and celebrate with vocalizations. Puget Sound Express captured video and hydrophone audio of the orcas celebrating after one recent kill while hungry seagulls swooped down looking for scraps.

Watch the video here:

After the celebration, the whales went silent again.

Puget Sound Express says the leader of this transient pod was born in 1986 - and she has had five successful orca calves since then. Experts say she appears to have time for two or three more calves before her breeding period comes to a close around age 40.

In one other encouraging sign, Puget Sound Express says some of the younger orcas are stepping up to lead some of the hunts.

In contrast to the struggling salmon-eating southern resident orcas, the region's transients are flourishing, thanks to federal protection of marine mammals such as seals and sea lions.