MUSEUM CAMPUS — Shedd Aquarium's dolphin family just keeps growing.
The Downtown aquarium said it welcomed a newborn baby dolphin calf Monday. It's the first calf for Katrl (kuh-TREHL), a a 28-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin who recently went to Miami and came back pregnant.
The newborn calf's sex and name have yet to be determined, but it currently is 25 pounds and three feet long.
“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 tiny tail to propel its little body to the surface to take its first breath is overwhelmingly emotional," Lisa Takaki, senior director of marine mammals, said in a statement.
Katrl mated with Lii, a "stud" of Pacific white-sided dolphins at Miami Seaquarium who's sired two other Shedd dolphins, including one calf born last year.
Native to the north Pacific Ocean, Pacific white-sided dolphins are marked by their black backs, gray sides and white bellies, according to the Shedd. The dolphins are also known for jumping in the air and can swim at 25 miles per hour, making them one of the fastest creatures in the ocean.
Still, there are only about 20 such dolphins in North American aquatic facilities, and little else is known about the species, Binder said. The Shedd prioritizes breeding and caring for the dolphins so it can learn more about them.
Elsewhere, Lurie Children's Hospital is running a contest to name a new penguin born nearly a year ago at the Shedd. The name will be unveiled Monday, April 25.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
