Orca that swam with her dead calf for 17 days has given birth again

Back in 2018, an orca by the came of Tahlequah broke hearts around the world when it was revealed that she had been carrying around her stillborn calf through the Salish Sea off British Columbia.

However, the doting mom has given us all reason to celebrate, as the non-profit Center for Whale Research has announced that she has given birth once again to a healthy baby.

As reported by The Guardian, the newborn calf - currently dubbed J-57 after its pod - was seen "swimming vigorously alongside its mother" on Saturday in waters near the border between the US state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

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Experts from the organization currently estimate that the calf was born on Friday (September 4). Per the Vancouver Sun, its gender is currently unknown.

The research center revealed: "On September 5, we followed up on a report from one of the [local] whale-watchers that a very small calf was seen."

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The statement continued: "Tahlequah was mostly separate from the other whales and being very evasive as she crossed the border into Canada, so we ended our encounter with her after a few minutes and wished them well on their way."

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Tahlequah's heartbreaking story back in 2018 was widely circulated across social media and news outlets as it offered humans a brief glance into how other species handle grief.

Wildlife photographer and whale enthusiast Alena Ebeling-Schuld said: "Tahlequah, in particular, means a great deal to me.

"Her tour of grief was beyond impactful, telling the story to a wide audience not only of the plight of Southern Residents, but also of the complexity of animals' emotions – something humans are so quick to disregard."

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Per The Guardian, Tahlequah's pregnancy was first announced several weeks ago by the nonprofit conservation group Sealife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research (also known as SR3)

A research group led by Dr. Holly Fearnbach was able to identify a number of pregnancies among the pod by comparing aerial photographs of the ocean giants.

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On July 26, SR3 reported: "Obvious shape changes in some individuals have revealed a number of pregnant whales from all three pods.

"We hope folks on the water can give the Southern Residents plenty of space to forage at this important time. With such a small population… every successful birth is hugely important for recovery."

Ebeling-Schuld's further comments prove just how delighted fans of these wonderful creatures are to hear about the news of Tahlequah's successful birth: "This new birth brings new hope - for Tahlequah and for all of us.

"I am wishing Tahlequah and her new little one the very best with all of my being."

Congratulations to the new mom!