In 2018, a killer whale named Tahlequah, or J35, living off the coast of Seattle, Washington, carried the body of her calf, who lived for just half an hour, over one thousand miles. The calf’s death was no surprise. Like Nigel, Tahlequah belonged to the Southern Residents, one of the most imperiled populations of killer whales, which are some of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Although male killer whales carry their accumulated load of toxins for their entire lives, females can shed toxins in milk for their calves, poisoned mothers unwittingly poisoning their babies. The
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