Three Aquatic Babies At Marineland

Marineland is pleased to announce the birth of three dolphin calves, which are welcome additions to the previous population of eleven animals.  One female and two male calves made their debut to the public during the months of June and July after a twelve month gestational period. Visitors have been delighted to observe their diminutive size and witness their antics. The Dolphin Conservation Center now houses and cares for animals of a very broad age range.  In addition to the calves and others, it is home to Nellie, the world’s oldest dolphin in human care, born at Marineland’s oceanarium 55 years ago.

 “These recent births are a nice indication of the disposition of the dolphins and the quality of the environment they live in here at the DCC”, noted Kevin Roberts, Curator of the resident marine mammals.  While all three youngsters appear to be doing wonderfully at this time, Marineland staff members remain guardedly optimistic about their continued good health. The infant survival rate for “first time” dolphin mothers, both in the wild and in human care is a mere 17%; for second time mothers the rate is increased to roughly 48% to 60%; and for third time mothers the rate is increased to an average 80%.  Population biologists generally do not consider a dolphin to be “alive and accepted into a population” until a calf has reached the age of one, given the mortality rates of marine mammals in the wild.

For Betty this is her 4th calf, Dazzle’s 3rd, and Roxy’s 2nd.  Roberts stated, “While the health of the resident population is monitored every day, the expectant mothers were evaluated throughout the pregnancies via ultrasound and routine blood checks, all performed voluntarily through trained behavior, to ensure optimal conditions would prevail.”  Marineland has been known for successful breeding over its history; however these were the first successful births since moving the dolphins to the recently constructed habitats at the Dolphin Conservation Center.  Billy Hurley, General Manager, explained, “The new, larger habitats are fantastic, but truly much of the success stems from the fact that we are able to utilize incoming seawater that is far from non-point source runoff from human encroachment.  Looking at the current status of dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon system with its tremendous pollution issues really creates a sense of urgency for conservation efforts in the wild.  To that end, these little calves will be great ambassadors for telling the IRL story to those that interact with them here in the future.” 

While the calves have yet to be named, the staff is currently narrowing down the choices. The public is welcome to visit and view the latest additions to the “pod” through general admission to the facility. 

For information or reservations call (904) 471-1111 or visit www.marineland.net   

About Marineland
Marineland’s original steel oceanariums were the first structures of their type in the world and were built to house and display multiple species of marine life, replicating the variety of life to be found off the coast of northeast Florida.  Marineland continues its tradition of creating state of the art facilities with the Dolphin Conservation Center.  Today’s guests are able to interact with dolphins from around and within their habitat, even swimming with the animals.  Efforts in the disciplines of education and research are shared, as guests view educational signage placed throughout the facility or are introduced to the animals via interactive encounters.  In both cases the plights and challenges facing wild dolphins are key messages conveyed to inspire the general public to become informed and active in the conservation of marine animals and their natural environments.