Momo the false killer whale has given birth!!

A healthy baby false killer whale was born at 6:57 AM on July 11th (Sun), at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Dolphin Lagoon.

Mother and calf swimming together
 

In 2017, Momo (mother) and Tida (father) had a male baby we named Sun. (now 4 years old). The same couple have now had their second baby. Mating took place on May 15th, 2020, and we monitored the mother’s and the calf’s health using ultrasound and blood tests until she gave birth. On the day of the birth, part of the tail fin emerged at 5:30 AM, and Momo gave birth at 6:57 AM. The gestation period was 422 days. Feeding was confirmed 13 hours after birth. Currently, the calf is growing well as it feeds on its mother’s milk.

Birth of a false killer whale

〇Name of mother : Momo (Estimated age 19 years)

False killer whale

False killer whales are found in warm waters around the world. They are on the IUCN red list as a rare and threatened species. There has been limited captive breeding worldwide. In Japan there have been only two successful cases (survived over a year). Both successful cases were at this aquarium. The first, in 2000, and the second, in 2017, which was the birth of Sun who is currently reared here.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium shares the scientific knowledge we have gained through captive breeding. We hope our work will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of false killer whales, which in turn will help with the conservation of all dolphins.

The birth and growth of the baby false killer whale will be shared via Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium’s official accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.