Baby Beluga Whale Born in Canada

A baby beluga whale was born at a Vancouver Aquarium.

The mother was in labour for one day as crowds gathered around and cheered the mother on as the baby calf emerged on Sunday. It was a thrilling event for the crowd to watch and for the Aquarium to have.

These type of mammals are born with the tail coming out first, to have the capability to swim immediately. After the 5 foot, 154 pound calf was born, it swam straight to the top of the water to gain its first breaths of air. The gender is unsure of at this time, but the calf is said to be a girl.

The beluga whales are also known as white whales, because of their color. Today there are only around one-hundred thousand beluga whales alive that are populated in the Arctic and surrounding Artic ocean. A quarter of them are in Hudson’s Bay in Canada. Scientists usually predict a fifty percent chance of mortality rate for a calf living generally in the wild.

After a fifteen month long pregnancy, the twenty-one year old mother beluga whale, Aurora, had her baby.

The staff Veterinarian at Vancouver Aquarium, Dr. Marty Haulena, stated that the calf and it’s mother are doing good. Haulena also stated that within the next couple of days and weeks the calf has several milestones to achieve. Aurora has been a great mother to her past calves that she won’t be any different with this one. She is doing a great job so far.

A volunteer of the Aquarium, Sharon Newman, had been monitoring Aurora and her condition since she started going into labor. Newman states that watching a whale be born is one of the most incredible things to ever see. Sharon also stated that she knows why so many people are fascinated with whales. They are mammals that are so much like us, but yet so different.

Aurora and her new born, unnamed calf are doing good so far at the Aquarium.