Hours-old killer whale calf makes rare appearance off Australia. See newborn surface

An hours-old killer whale calf recently surfaced along the shores of Australia, making for a rare and exciting encounter.

The “brand new” marine mammal, nicknamed Wren, was seen by researchers near Bremer Bay — a seaside town on the southern coast of Western Australia — according to a Feb. 2 Facebook post from the Orca Behavior Institute.

“We spotted some familiar fins in the distance and as we came on we recognized these five adult whales as a family we have seen just a few days before,” orca researcher Sara Hysong-Shimazu told ABC News Australia. “All of a sudden there was a tiny little calf popping up besides one of them.”

It swam along the surface for a few minutes, while an adult, presumed to be its mother, remained close by, guiding and protecting the animal, according to 7News Regional WA.

The small orca was identified as a newborn because its dorsal fin was soft — a sign it was less than 24 hours old.

This means the researchers’ encounter was “pretty rare”, Hysong-Shimazu told ABC News Australia.

“I think this was our first one for the region, which is really, really exciting,” marine biologist Jade Cantrall told 7News Regional WA.

Orcas, which are found throughout all the world’s oceans, are extremely social creatures, living in groups called pods, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After a gestation period ranging from 15 to 18 months, females give birth to one calf, which nurses for at least one year.

“There is no distinct calving season,” according to NOAA, “so birth can take place in any month.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Hours-old killer whale calf makes rare appearance off Australia. See newborn surface."