A white-sided dolphin named Katrl recently gave birth to her calf at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. The 28-year-old dolphin and her healthy baby were celebrated because every birth of their species is crucial due to their waning numbers in the wild.
A video recorded by the Shedd Aquarium videographer, Sam Cejtin, shows snapshots of the whole process starting from when we see the baby’s tail peak out of it’s mother.
Lisa Takaki, one of the caretakers, said “As soon as those little tail flukes appear, your heart begins to race, and you know it’s only a matter of time before you are about to witness something incredibly amazing,”
“To watch a dolphin be born is beautiful, but to also see its natural instincts fully take over in a matter of seconds as it kicks its tail to propel its little body to the surface to take its first breath is overwhelmingly emotional”
“We couldn’t be more proud of the job Katrl is doing as a new mother, showing signs of protectiveness by steering her calf away from the sides of the habitat and helping to guide it into swimming position to conserve its energy reserves” said Takaki
Watch the beautiful moment below:
