Laius’s calf is one of two new members of Unit J who were born in 2021. He is a spirited, inquisitive and independent little whale who has distinctive, white paintbrush-like markings on his stomach and an abundance of white on his upper lips. 

Although he was only a few months old when we met him, he made numerous solo appearances to float, posture and play in front of our citizen scientists. On one occasion the active young male brought his social unit contemporary, Jocasta’s calf, along for a brief but very close visit. When he wasn’t expressing his ebullient personality independently, this highly recognizable calf was regularly seen swimming with his mother.

We saw him on two days during our 2022 field session in the company of his mother, swimming and posturing alone, and accompanying his best friend, Jocasta’s calf. He had grown a great deal and was both longer and slimmer compared to the previous year. We documented him as he nursed from Laius and hammed for the camera with his small family friend. 

This gregarious young whale continues to be a bold, interactive and highly photogenic calf.