Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Calf Born At SeaWorld San Diego

Kolohe, a 30-year-old Pacific bottlenose dolphin has given birth to a calf Tuesday at the SeaWorld Marine Park in San Diego. The gender of the 40 pound calf will be announced in the coming weeks.

The new calf represents the 79th successful birth at SeaWorld San Diego. The Park officials have kept both Kolohe and the new calf out of public view to give them time to bond together. The newborn and the mother are in good health, and swimming and bonding together in the pool, abc reports.

Both the mother and the baby will be monitored closely by animal care staff at the SeaWorld. They will be observing the frequency of respiration and nursing.

The first 30 days after birth are extremely critical for dolphin claves. Maximum deaths occur during this period, both in captivity and in the wild.

Pacific bottlenose dolphins are warm blooded mammals that dwell in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. In the Pacific Ocean, bottlenose dolphins are found from northern Japan to Australia, from Southern California to Chile, Hawaiian Islands, California and Monterey.

These dolphins can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 300 to 650 pounds. They belong to the group of toothed whales, scientifically known as 'odontocetes,' according to Cabo San Luccas Dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins are not in danger of extinction. According to SeaWorld, the worldwide population of these dolphins is unknown. Their populations in a few areas have been estimated. U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) surveys estimate around 243,500 bottlenose dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific, while the Japanese surveys estimate 316,935 dolphins in the northwest Pacific.