Name the National Aquarium' s new dolphin calf!

Text message and online voting begins November 11

The presidential election has come and gone, but the National Aquarium still needs your vote! The newest addition to the dolphin colony is now 3 months old and the Aquarium is calling on the public to choose her name. From November 11 - 20, people are invited to vote for their favorite of five names by text messaging or visiting WBALTV.com.

Born on July 27, 2008, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf is the 10th successful dolphin birth at the National Aquarium since 1990. The new calf joins her parents, 16-year-old female Chesapeake, and 25-year-old male Chinook, and 6 other adult dolphins. She also shares the nursery pool with another youngster.

Foster was the youngest of the dolphin colony and turned one in September.

The Aquarium's marine mammal staff and volunteers gathered name ideas while watching the calf grow over the last three months. The names have now been narrowed to five choices that each have a strong tie to Maryland, and fit well with the young calf's developing personality.

Bayley (after her mother, Chesapeake, and the Bay)

Calli (after Callinectes, the genus of the blue crab, and Cal Ripken)

Charm (because she lives in Charm City)

Hanna (after the Susquehanna River)

Sassafras (after the Sassafras River)

The Aquarium is encouraging people to vote on aqua.org/dolphins or WBALTV.com or by texting the letter "A" for Bayley, "B" for Calli, "C" for Charm, "D" for Hanna, or "E" for Sassafras to 88509. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Voting will close on November 20th and the calf's name will be announced live at the Aquarium during the WBAL-TV morning show on Saturday, November 22. WBAL-TV is the exclusive media partner for the naming event.

Help support our dolphin calf's care and feeding through a special dolphin calf Aquadopt! For a limited time only, Aquadopt-ers will receive a personalized certificate, photo, a special plush, and more! Visit aqua.org/dolphins for details!

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Maryland's most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the region's leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year.

Through transforming experiences, the National Aquarium inspires people to enjoy, respect, and protect the aquatic world. It is dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.

SOURCE National Aquarium in Baltimore
http://www.aqua.org