Baltimore, November 20, 2007 - The National Aquarium in Baltimore announces the newest addition to the dolphin family - a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, born at the Aquarium on September 9th.
Now just shy of two and a half months old, the unnamed calf has the unusual benefit of being cared for attentively by three lactating females. It is known that females in bottlenose dolphin birthing groups can spontaneously produce milk if a calf is present, but it is not well documented. At the Aquarium, staff members are collecting data on this interesting event. Jade is the calf's mother, but Chesapeake and Shiloh (who are mother and daughter) are helping Jade with all of her motherly duties.
Aquarium marine mammal trainers are encouraged by the calf's robust health, and remain cautiously optimistic about his progress. Dolphin calves are especially fragile and not easily handled during their first two to three months of life, so trainers leave raising the calf solely to the dolphin mom - or in this case, his "moms." Jade is a first-time mother, and trainers feel lucky to have Chesapeake and Shiloh showing her the ropes of motherhood.
The calf appears to be thriving and independent, and easily goes from one female to the next. He is nursing regularly, swimming more on his own, learning to navigate and has begun to interact with trainers and toys.
Only three feet long and about 36 pounds at birth, the calf has grown and filled out in the intervening two months. By the time he was 6 weeks old, he was "gating," or passing through the gates between the pools, following the females with no hesitation. This is a difficult skill to acquire since dolphins instinctively avoid swimming through openings or crevices - as air-breathers, they are naturally cautious about situations in which they could become stuck underwater. The calf is also in the beginning stages of bonding with trainers and plays with toys that are offered to him during sessions.
The marine mammal team is considering names for the calf from a list developed by trainers and volunteers involved in his care, and his name will be chosen within the next two months.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Maryland's most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the region's leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium's mission is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It is dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.
