An eighth Orca has been born into the Southern Resident Killer Whale population this year, and the newest calf as been identified as a member of J Pod.

According to The Center for Whale Research, the newest baby has been dubbed J54 and was first spotted with its mother, J28 (Polaris), on Dec. 1 near San Juan Island. At the time, researchers were unable to determine if the Orca calf was new, but the baby was spotted and photographed again in Haro Strait on Dec. 16. With clearer and closer photos, researchers determined then that the baby was indeed a new arrival and was two or three weeks old.

The birth of J54 continues the successful breeding year that the Southern Residents have had. The birth is the eighth since December 2014 and brings the total Southern Resident population to 84 known individuals, according to the center.

“1977 is the only previous year in the past forty years in which as many baby killer whales were born into this community of whales, and there were nine in that year,” a statement from The Center for Whale Research reports. “From calculations accounting for all reproductive age females, we estimate that typically up to nine babies could be produced each year, but there is usually a high rate of … mortality, and we have seen only three babies annually on average.”

This drop in Orca births for the Southern Residents in recent years is due to a salmon shortage, researchers say, and the survival of J54 and the year’s other seven calves depends on a future with plentiful Chinook salmon.