FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. — An endangered killer whale that drew international attention as she carried her dead calf on her head for more than two weeks is finally back to feeding and frolicking with her pod, researchers said.

The Center for Whale Research in Washington state said it watched the orca, known as J35, chase a school of salmon in Haro Strait west of San Juan Island on Saturday.

The whales have been struggling because of a lack of salmon, and J35’s calf died soon after birth on July 24.

The mother carried the baby on her head for at least 17 days, in an image of grief that struck an emotional chord worldwide. She finally abandoned the carcass as it decomposed.

Center for Whale Research founder Ken Balcomb said he was relieved to see J35 returning to typical behavior.

The birth should have been a happy milestone for the pod of orcas. The number of killer whales roaming between Vancouver and San Juan Island has dwindled to 75 members over the decades. Humans have reduced the stock of salmon, driven ships through the whales’ hunting lanes, and polluted their water.

The 400-pound, orange-tinted baby was the first live birth in the pod since 2015. It lived about half an hour.

Associated Press