Endangered Southern Resident orca baby gets a name

Put aside despair for now; there is "reason for hope" in the Salish Seas.

Driving the news: The Samish Indian Nation held a naming ceremony this week for one of the newest members of the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

• The female calf, believed to have been born in February or March of 2022, was named Sxwyeqólh (Swee-a-kosh) meaning "reason for hope child," according to a statement from the Indian Nation.
• J59, as she is also known, is the second offspring of J37 or Hy'Shqa and a member of the JPod, one of three Southern Resident killer whale family groups known to visit Washington waters.

The big picture: Southern Resident killer whales were listed as endangered in 2005 under the Endangered Species Act and are considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

• Earlier this year, the Marine Mammal Commission reported the species' population at 74.
• But according to a July 3 update from the Center for Whale Research, photos and drone footage confirmed two new calves this year: L126, a male, and L127, a female. Both appear to be about two months old, the center said.