The Georgia Aquarium Welcomes A Whale Of A New Addition
ATLANTA, GA — The Georgia Aquarium has a whale of a new addition, and it’s not exactly hard to miss — for being a baby and all.
Whisper, the aquarium’s 20-year-old beluga whale, gave birth to a calf in the middle of the night May 17. The calf weighed in at 174 pounds and is 5 foot, 4 inches long, the aquarium announced Monday.
Aquarium officials announced in a news release that Whisper’s labor was long but that she came through the birth fine with assistance from the aquarium’s animal care and health teams. Both Whisper and her calf are getting much-needed rest and are using this time to bond.
“We are so proud of Whisper and overjoyed to welcome her calf to our Georgia Aquarium family,” Dennis Christen, senior director of zoological operations, mammals and birds at Georgia Aquarium, said in the release. “We will be there right alongside the calf as it continues to grow and learn from Whisper.”
Whisper and her half are being constantly monitored, and caretakers say that the coming weeks will be a crucial time for the little whale's development and bonding. The aquarium’s other beluga whales — Qinu, Maple, Nunavik and Imaq — are all said to be doing well, are being kept in a separate exhibit and will be introduced to Whisper and her calf when it is deemed appropriate.
“This birth is important not only for Georgia Aquarium, but all accredited zoological facilities. Our hope is to sustain the beluga whale population in North America so future generations can learn about them,” Eric Gaglione, vice president of zoological operations at Georgia Aquarium, said in the release. “Throughout Whisper’s pregnancy, we tracked important data about beluga whale gestation that could hopefully make informed conservation decisions about belugas in the wild and their offspring.”
The aquarium remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Officials said that once the aquarium reopens to the public, several factors will be taken into consideration about when the beluga whale exhibit is opened and that there may be periods when the whales are not allowed to be viewed.
The full birth story, behind-the-scenes moments and some surprise details will air in an Animal Planet special at 10 p.m. Saturday. Updates can be found on the Georgia Aquarium’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates as the calf continues to grow.
This article originally appeared on the Atlanta Patch
