CHICAGO — A beluga whale and Pacific white-sided dolphin are celebrating their first birthdays at the Shedd Aquarium.
Last August, the Shedd welcomed the baby cetaceans — the aquatic group that dolphins, whales and porpoises belong to — to their marine mammal families.
Atlas, the male beluga, was born Aug. 21, 2020. He was the firstborn of then-14-year-old mother Bella and weighed 139 pounds at birth. He was also born head first, which is unusual for belugas, after 15 hours of labor.
Harmony, a female Pacific white-sided dolphin, was born just 10 days later to mother Katrl.
The Shedd Aquarium called the first birthdays a critical milestone.
“Both calves continue to grow, socialize with members of their pods, participate in animal care sessions, and more,” the statement said.
When naming Harmony, the baby Pacific white-sided dolphin, the aquarium developed a virtual backpack to engage fourth-grade Chicago Public Schools students and choose a name. The lessons in the backpack are available in both Spanish and English and teach kids about dolphins and other marine life.
You can see both of the yearlings in full view at the Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium.
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