Beluga Whale Born At Canada Aquarium

A female beluga whale calf swam into the world Sunday at the Vancouver Public Aquarium, a month after the facility saw a baby killer whale die after birth.

“She’s a real strong swimmer,” aquarium spokeswoman Marisa Nichini said as the 155-pound calf circled the pool with her mother, Aurora.

“Aurora is being a really attentive mother. That was one of our concerns because Aurora is a first-time mother.”

Nichini said the calf, measuring about 5 feet in length, is the first to be conceived and born in a Canadian aquarium.

Tuaq was the last beluga birth in Vancouver in 1977, but the whale died three months later. Her mother, Kavna, now 23, conceived in the wild.

Aquarium officials said they didn’t know which of the two male belugas, Nanuq or Inaq, is the father of the newborn, which emerged after a three-hour labor. The gestation period for a beluga is about 15 months.