A killer whale has been born in the Pacific Northwest, and so far, it looks happy and healthy.

It could be a lifeline. For years, no orca born into this group has survived.

The calf, known as L124, is part of a group of orcas known as the Southern Residents. The group has been shrinking for decades — it had nearly 100 orcas in the mid-90s, and now has 75 — in large part because of a depletion of its main food source, the Chinook salmon. Pollution and noisy boat traffic also appear to be hastening the group’s decline.

Since no calves born to the group since 2015 have survived to maturity, researchers are crossing their fingers for L124.

“I wish I could say that the odds are good, but unfortunately, the Southern Residents aren’t doing too well right now,” said Melisa Pinnow, a biologist with the Center for Whale Research, a nonprofit group in Washington State. “In the last three years, every calf that’s been born has died, and we’ve had miscarriages as well.”