Rap gave birth to her first calf in late 2020 or early 2021. We first observed the calf during our 2021 field session swimming at a leisurely pace with Rap and other whales from Unit R. She stayed closest to her mother and was sometimes completely surrounded by affectionate family members.

On one occasion she made a brief pass on her own in front of our observation team, indicating a level of budding independence. Later in the morning Rap swam directly towards us with her calf in tow, as though to introduce her offspring to us. The calf positioned herself nearest to us and eyed us with curiosity as she passed. Thus far she appears to be poised and confident for her age.