A dolphin named Katrl gave birth to its calf in front of Shedd Aquarium staff, who were absolutely captivated by the moment.
The event was captured on film and has garnered more than 10,000 views as of this writing.
Details Of Birth
It was Katrl's first pregnancy and she was fully guided by 40 animal specialists and veterinarians on stand-by.
The miniature flukes appeared at around 6:02 a.m., with senior director of marine mammals Lisa Takaki exclaiming that it was perfect.
Katrl went into labor for three hours and 12 minutes. Sometimes, she would peek at the window and look at the familiar faces or popped up to get a treat.
At exactly 9:14 a.m. at the Abbott Oceanarium, Katrl swam to the surface to give the final push. The first breath of the calf was observed, registering glee and applause from the people surrounding the aquarium.
The calf measures 3 feet and weighs 25 pounds.
Takaki says the actual birth of a dolphin is beautiful, but to see the natural instincts of the animal completely in play in just a matter of seconds, with it kicking its tail and moving its body to the surface for the first breath is extremely emotional.
After Birth
Lisa says Katrl and her new baby dolphin are doing well few hours after birth, which is considered a critical period.
Despite this, she says that the team is monitoring the pair closely, taking down notes about everything they can observe. These include the behaviors of the dolphins, to ensure that they are the same with how the dolphins that came from previous successful births have been.
Significant Birth
Pacific white-sided dolphins are rare in zoological centers, with only 16 present in Northern American facilities. This then signals an important event in the dolphin population and to the marine communities, which are committed to understanding the reproductive and biological processes and behaviors of these species.
In the end, Shedd's new president and CEO, Dr. Bridget Coughlin was pleased.
"It was incredible," she says. For her, the experience was personally exhilarating. She also adds that this is a good chance to strengthen the things that are already known about the rare species of dolphins.
In another equally thrilling event, whale watchers off California coast witnessed a killer whale giving birth just beside their boat.
