Beluga whale Jessica has given birth at the Primorsky Oceanarium in Vladivostok, Russia, marking the first successful breeding in a captive environment.
The newborn beluga whale has gray skin. (Photo: Primorsky Oceanarium).
“Beluga whale Jessica has become a mother for the first time after giving birth to a healthy calf on August 1. This is not only Jessica’s first experience as a mother at the age of 14, but also a unique case of beluga whale breeding in captivity in Russia,” the Oceanarium’s statement said.
The lead dolphin trainer at the Primorsky Oceanarium, Igor Kostychev, reported that Jessica gave birth naturally at night, within 20 minutes, without any assistance.
Immediately after birth, the calf began nursing and swimming alongside its mother and father, Ler.
In a few months, the calf will start trying to eat fish but will rely on its mother’s milk for about the first two years.
Newborn beluga whales are born brown, then transition to gray, and eventually turn white as adults. The gestation period for the mother whale lasts 12-14 months.
