Images Dated 28th July 2010

Bottlenose Dolphin - mother and newborn baby / calf - swimming together

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Bottlenose Dolphin - mother and newborn baby / calf - swimming together
Malta
Tursiops truncatus
The calf was born on July 20th 2010 at 15:30. At birth its weight was roughly 15 kg and 1m in length. The mother is Onda, a 14 year old female from Cuba but guest of the grand Mediterraneo Dolphinarium since 2003. The father is Lucas, a 12 year old also from Cuba. Gestation in this species of dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is approximately 12 months. Nursing can last up two years but already after 4 months-old the calf can start to feed himself setting in motion the weaning process.
This forms part of a species propagation programme in a monitored environment that Marineland Ltd, the company that runs the Mediterraneo Marine Park, has planned in Malta for some time.
Augusto Leandro Stanzani
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