SAN ANTONIO – A baby boom currently underway at SeaWorld San Antonio has continued with the birth of another Pacific white-sided dolphin calf, the marine park said Monday in a press release.
17-year-old Ohana recently gave birth to a baby female, which is estimated at 19 inches long and 21 pounds. The new addition was born under the watchful eyes of animal care specialists and the park’s veterinary team and follows the recent births of a new beluga whale and another Pacific white-sided dolphin, both born in late June.
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“Our team has been waiting on this moment for months and it’s finally here,” Katie Kolodziej, curator of zoological operations at SeaWorld San Antonio said. “With three new babies now in our habitat, the team is looking forward to providing the best possible care and enrichment for the calves and their mothers, as well as watching them grow and become a part of our existing pod.”
The press release said upon birth, the calf instinctually swam to the surface of the water for its first breath of air and began swimming alongside its mother.
The marine park said around-the-clock observations will continue for at least another month and that data is currently being collected and compiled to help monitor the well-being of the calves. All three have had access to each pool in their two-million-gallon facility, including the main presentation pool. Guests interested can catch a glimpse of them at various times throughout the day while hearing updates about their progress from zoological staff during special educational chats.
In the two weeks since the births, the previous calves have been introduced to each other as well as to other members of the pod. There are now a total of 10 beluga whales and nine Pacific white-sided dolphins.
The recent “baby boom” at the marine park began earlier this summer with the arrival of a harbor seal, a California sea lion, and an endangered radiated tortoise. All newborns are showing signs of good health, the marine park said.