UAE | Environment

First baby dolphin born at special pool in Atlantis

baby dolphin was born at a special maternity pool at Dolphin Bay in Atlantis, The Palm Resort, late last month, and the mother, Butters, and its calf have spent their first days bonding, according to a statement.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 16:03 September 30, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • The baby dolphin is being monitored 24 hours a day by mammal specialists to ensure it is healthy and developing on schedule.
  • Image Credit: Supplied Picture

Dubai: A baby dolphin was born at a special maternity pool at Dolphin Bay in Atlantis, The Palm Resort, late last month, and the mother, Butters, and its calf have spent their first days bonding, according to a statement.

"The calf is being monitored 24 hours a day by mammal specialists to ensure it is healthy and developing on schedule," said Frank Murru, Chief Marine Officer, Kerzner International. "This is the first birth for our Dolphin Bay family, a true testament to the acclimation of these incredible animals."

Dolphin Bay will also serve as the first marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation centre in Dubai. It will be the only centre for stranded animals in the Arabian Gulf. Every year, many injured marine mammals are stranded and need assistance. With Kerzner's marine life expertise and new facilities some of these animals can be rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the wild.

The Centre will also provide a broad range of educational opportunities including graduate and undergraduate programming, currently being developed in conjunction with universities and local institutions.

Dolphin Bay is a 4.5 hectare environment with three interaction lagoons. The habitat provides the dolphins with seven interconnected resident pools, sheltering from inclement weather and 26 million litres of seawater, which exceeds all marine mammal regulations in the UAE.

Man-made habitat

"We are proud to say our facility is one of the largest man-made coastal dolphin habitats in the world" said Al Kordowski Vice President of Dolphin Bay.

The residents of Dolphin Bay are all Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, who breathe air out of a blowhole located on the top of their head.

The facts: Newborns examined

The average gestation period for a Bottlenose Dolphins is 10 to 12 months.

At the end of this period, they give birth to live young, called calves. The calf, born with sparse hair on its snout, is a mammal and will nurse from its mother for 12 to 18 months and begin to eat fish at 4 to 5 months of age. At birth, the average Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin is 70cm long.

- Staff Report

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