Giving birth is a moment of joy for every mother and this dolphin calf who became famous the moment he came into this world, or better to say the water world, seems to have made her mother even happier.
Advertisement
Katrl, a Pacific white-sided dolphin, is seen in labor at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium on Monday.
Mother and baby are reportedly doing well, and aquarium staff are thrilled.
The baby weighs about 25 pounds and is approximately three feet long and there were more than 40 animals experts on hand to help had anything gone wrong.
“As soon as those little tail flukes appear, your heart begins to race”, Lisa Takaki, the aquarium’s senior director of marine mammals, said in a statement. Aquarium officials have noted that she has proven to be naturally maternal, paying close attention to her calf. Piquet, another Pacific white-sided dolphin at Shedd, gave birth to Makoa in June 2015. According to the Shedd Aquarium, Katrl’s labor lasted for more than 3 hours, as she circled the Secluded Bay during contractions between 6:02 and 9:14 CT. After witnessing the birth, Shedd’s CEO Dr. Bridget Coughlin commented that “Pacific white-sided dolphin births have never been seen in the wild, so it’s a unique opportunity for Shedd to deepen our scientific knowledge of this species”.
With the kick kick kick of its tiny tail, the Shedd Aquarium’s new dolphin calf surfaced for its first breath early this week. The process must be done all while swimming, so it proves to be a hard, yet natural, task for these marine mammals.
Advertisement
Both mom and calf will remain under 24-hour observation for several months and are now off public view to allow for bonding and privacy.
