The Hindu : International / Globescan : "Wholphin" born in captivity

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Saturday, Apr 16, 2005

International

International - Globescan

"Wholphin" born in captivity

THE NEW BORN: Kekaimalu (right), a 19-year-old wholphin, swims with her calf in Sealife Park in Honolulu on Thursday. — AP

HONOLULU: A rare whale-dolphin mix has given birth to a playful female calf, said officials at a Hawaii water life park. The calf was born on December 23 to Kekaimalu, a mix of a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Officials at Sea Life Park Hawaii said they waited to announce the birth on Thursday because of recent changes in ownership and operations at the park. The young as-yet unnamed wholphin is one-fourth false killer whale and three-fourths Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Her slick skin is an even blend of a dolphin's light grey and the black colouring of a false killer whale. The calf still depends on her mother's milk, but sometimes snatches frozen capelin from the hands of trainers, then toys with the sardine-like fish. She is jumbo-sized compared to purebred dolphins, and is already the size of a one-year-old bottlenose. — AP

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