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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Beluga has baby at Vancouver Aquarium

By: James Keller

Posted: 06/8/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Aurora, a 20-year-old beluga whale, swims with her calf after giving birth at the Vancouver Aquarium on Sunday. (CP)

VANCOUVER -- A year after becoming a first-time grandmother, a 21-year-old beluga whale at the Vancouver Aquarium now has another daughter to call her own.

Aurora gave birth to the latest branch of Vancouver's beluga family tree on Sunday, days before her granddaughter celebrates her first birthday.

Aurora went into labour late Sunday morning, and the yet-to-be-named calf swam up to water's surface for her first breath at 3:39 p.m. local time.

"This really was textbook -- it was just phenomenal," Clint Wright, the aquarium's vice-president of operations, said in an interview.

"Aurora seemed to take it all in stride, her eyes were open, she just looked nice and relaxed."

Wright said Aurora had started eating less in recent days and some blood was spotted in the water Saturday night, letting staff know the birth was imminent.

Aurora's water broke Sunday morning, and several hours later, the calf's tail could be seen peaking out.

"And then she had big pushes, big contractions, and about half the calf would come out and she would hold it for a few seconds and the calf would pop back in again," said Wright.

"There was big groans from everybody watching. I think everybody was trying to push and help her to get it out. And the calf came out, very vigorous, very healthy. (It) came firing up out of the water and took a huge breath of air."

It was Aurora's third birth. Her first was in 1995, when she gave birth to Qila, the first whale conceived and born in captivity in Canada.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 8, 2009 A7

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