Friday, July 12, 2024 SeaWorld San Antonio is experiencing a ‘baby boom’ with the arrival of two cetacean calves: a Pacific white-sided dolphin and a beluga whale. Both were born within two days at the Beluga Whale and Dolphin Stadium, under the vigilant care of animal specialists and the park’s veterinary team. The park also recently welcomed a California sea lion, a harbor seal, and a critically endangered radiated tortoise.
Both mothers, Piquet, a 36-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin, and Luna, a 23-year-old beluga whale, are seasoned in motherhood, having successfully birthed and raised multiple calves. After about 50 minutes of labor, Piquet gave birth to a female calf weighing around 20 pounds and measuring 20 inches long. Luna’s calf, a male, weighed approximately 130 pounds and was four feet long at birth, after two and a half hours of labor.
Both calves were born tail first, the typical birthing position for whales and dolphins. For several weeks, the calves will swim closely alongside their mothers, often gliding in their slipstream to conserve energy. Soon, they will be introduced to the existing pod at the facility, which now includes ten beluga whales and eight Pacific white-sided dolphins.
In the coming weeks and months, zoo officials will seize this unique opportunity to gain deeper insights into each species. Animals born in human care provide invaluable information about their species. For over 20 years, SeaWorld has partnered with St.
Mary’s Uni.