On April 1st (Friday), 2022, a healthy baby bottlenose dolphin was born at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium’s Dolphin Lagoon.

(Mother and baby swimming together: From above the water)

（Mother and baby swimming together: From in the water）

Artificial insemination was conducted on March 18th, 2021. After confirmation of pregnancy, the health of the mother and fetus were monitored using ultrasounds and blood tests.
On the day of the birth, at 14:00 the fetus’s caudal fin partially appeared, and it was born at 16:01. The gestation period was 379 days. Five hours after birth, lactation was confirmed. The baby dolphin is currently growing by feeding on its mother’s milk.
This is the first case at our facility of successful breeding through artificial insemination.

Info on the new bottlenose dolphin

 We plan to share the growth of the baby bottlenose dolphin on Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium’s official YouTube, Instagram and Facebook accounts. 

Bottlenose dolphin

This species is widely distributed in warm oceans around the world, and is commonly reared in aquariums. 
Currently, aquariums are cooperating with each other by loaning dolphins for breeding, and the creation of sperm banks for artificial insemination. 

The Okinawa Churaumi Foundation, which manages and operates the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium plans to report the data obtained from breeding in scientific papers.
Through continued breeding and research of bottlenose dolphins, we hope to shed light on the ecology of this species and help with the conservation of dolphins.