Truncatus Gallery

Bottlenose Dolphin - giving birth - showing new-born

Bottlenose Dolphin - giving birth - showing new-born having just been delivered (Tursiops truncatus). Oltremare lagoon Riccione Italy. The pregnancy lasted 54 weeks. The male calf was born July 2nd 2010 at 8:02 am and started to take milk 2 and half hours after birth (feeding at an average of two/three times per hour). At birth its weight was roughly 16 kg and 120cm in length. After 20 days its weight was 31 kg. The mother is Blue, a female born in Delphinarium Rimini Italy in 1996. The father is Micha, 25 year old coming from Cuba (in Italy since 1989)

© Augusto Leandro Stanzani / ardea.com

Bottlenose Dolphin - mother and newborn baby /

Bottlenose Dolphin - mother and newborn baby / calf - swimming together (Tursiops truncatus). Malta. The calf was born on July 20th 2010 at 15:30. At birth its weight was roughly 15 kg and 1m in length. The mother is Onda, a 14 year old female from Cuba but guest of the grand Mediterraneo Dolphinarium since 2003. The father is Lucas, a 12 year old also from Cuba. Gestation in this species of dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is approximately 12 months. Nursing can last up two years but already after 4 months-old the calf can start to feed himself setting in motion the weaning process. This forms part of a species propagation programme in a monitored environment that Marineland Ltd, the company that runs the Mediterraneo Marine Park, has planned in Malta for some time

© Augusto Leandro Stanzani / ardea.com

Bottlenose Dolphin - Female (Mother) communicating

Bottlenose Dolphin - Female (Mother) communicating with Newborn Baby / Calf immediately after birth, keeping the baby under water to control its breathing (Tursiops truncatus). Part of a sequence of imagesDolphin gestation / pregnancy lasts approx. 12 months, the birth can take between half an hour to 3 - 4 hours depending on the experience of the mother. Weaned after 9 - 18 months. Young stay closely with mothers for up to 6 years

© Augusto Leandro Stanzani / ardea.com