It’s a girl!
Keo, a 12-year-old dolphin , gave birth to a female calf at Dolphin Quest Hawaii last Monday, and this rarely seen event was recorded on underwater video (see below) in the Dolphin Quest lagoon. Keo’s dolphin baby is the 18th calf and the first second-generation calf born at the Dolphin Quest marine park since it opened in 1988.
Dolphin Quest trainers who had bonded with the dolphin mom were in the water to assist Keo as was Keo’s mother and aunt. Keo was in labor for about an hour before giving birth.
Dolphin Quest Hawaii is located at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island.
A Dolphin Quest statement said in part:
The first 30 days of a newborn dolphin’s life are the most critical. Dolphin Quest trainers will continue round-the-clock watch over the pair, recording nursing and respiration rates, and making sure that Keo is well-fed and hydrated. Over that period, Keo’s new baby will be introduced to the other nine dolphins at Dolphin Quest Hawaii. After the initial 30 day care period, trainers will select a name for the new baby girl.
“The trust shared between Keo and her human Crew members throughout the birth of this beautiful baby was extraordinary,” said Dr. Rae Stone, marine mammal veterinarian and one of two Dolphin Quest founders who were present at the birth. “Keo clearly sought out and took comfort and reassurance from her human friends. And she willingly swam up to the dock to allow veterinarians to check the baby’s heart rate with ultrasound during labor.”
Watch Keo the dolphin give birth to a female calf:
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