WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A killer whale has finally stopped carrying the body of her dead calf after at least 17 days and 1,000 miles (1609 km), the U.S.-based Center for Whale Research said Saturday.
The 20-year-old whale was seen Saturday afternoon chasing a school of salmon with others in mid-Haro Strait, which separates the United States and Canada. The center said in a statement that she appears to be in good physical condition.
"Her tour of grief is now over and her behavior is remarkably frisky," the statement said. It added that the body of the newborn calf had probably sunk to the bottom of the sea and researchers may not get a chance to examine it.
The orca was first spotted carrying her dead calf on July 24 and had since roamed between Vancouver, Canada and the San Juan Islands in Washington for what scientists regard as a "record-setting" time. She repeatedly brought the sinking calf back to the surface, supporting its body on her forehead in choppy seas. The calf was born on July 24 and died shortly.
The orca is an endangered species with around 75 percent newborns in two decades failing to survive.
Reports about the grieving mother evoked great sympathy online. "Watching this truly broke my heart. All mothers grieve over the loss of one of their own," one netizen wrote.
"There are lots of women who know exactly how she feels!" another wrote.
The killer whale is a highly social mammal, considered to be one of the most intelligent creatures on Earth. Scientists say its brain is highly developed in the areas dealing with emotions.
