Friday, May 12, 2006

Vancouver aquarium getting ready to welcome new addition!

The Vancouver Aquarium is expecting a new addition this summer. Hana, an 11-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin, is pregnant. Veterinarian Dr. Dave Huff says blood tests show Hana's progesterone levels are high, suggesting she's pregnant. An ultrasound next week will confirm if Hana is expecting and give an approximate due date.

It would be the first dolphin born in the Aquarium's 50-year history. But not everyone is excited about an impending birth.


Annelise Sorg of the group No Whales in Captivity says three Orcas born at the Aquarium died in the 1990's. She says two baby Beluga calves also died, the last being three-year-old Tuvaq who died last year. Sorg says Hana is living in poor conditions for having a calf and believes the chances of her baby surviving are slim.

Quick "Facts about Dolphins"