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Images of the orca J35 Tahlequah carrying her dead newborn for a heartbreaking 17 days over 1,600 kilometres were seen around the world.

Canadian and American veterinarians and biologists then joined forces in dramatic fashion to diagnose and treat the ailing three-year-old J50 Scarlet from the same pod, but failed to save her life.

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Three deaths this summer — including the young male L92 Crewser, which disappeared in June — have focused the world’s attention on the difficulties facing southern resident killer whales like never before.

Now, the world will watch as we bring the 74 remaining community members back from the brink, or witness their extinction.

Photo by Michael Weiss/Center for Whale Research / AP

Biologists and conservationists hope the celebrity of the Salish Sea’s orcas can be used to save them.

“They are a symbol for a lot of species that share their ecosystem and some of them are doing poorly, too,” said Vancouver Aquarium veterinarian Marty Haulena.