the world is watching

The world is watching

A pregnant dolphin becomes a celebrity on YouTube and something of a marketing coup for Vancouver Aquarium

The Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

By Larry Pynn

The world is watching. Any computer with Internet access is a portal to the unusual ultrasound images of a fragile fetus, flippers and all, wriggling inside Hana, the Vancouver Aquarium's Pacific white-sided dolphin.

Two clips of the ultrasound -- one when the fetus measured 22 centimetres on Jan. 4, the other 38 centimetres on Feb. 5 -- have been witnessed by thousands on YouTube and various other websites.

That's something of a marketing coup for an aquarium with its share of troubles over the years, including the failed calving of a total of six whales and dolphins, one of them the still-born death of Hana's first calf in June 2006.

Which begs the question: Is the aquarium setting itself up for more bad press should this pregnancy also go bad?

"I don't believe pregnancy is a disease," responds aquarium veterinarian Dr. Marty Haulena, who has spent too much of his life taking care of sick animals. "It's a great thing, but we certainly want to make sure that everything is going fine. I'm cautiously optimistic. I tend to run my life that way."

The Vancouver Aquarium says fewer than 100 Pacific white-sided dolphins live in aquariums worldwide, only a quarter of them in North America.

With so little known about the species, Haulena argues that sharing the ultrasound images is a valid form of education. "It's a great opportunity to show something to people that they might never see. It's cool and fun and really interesting even for people in my profession. 'A little dolphin, there it is!'"

The aquarium's history with Pacific white-sided dolphins dates back four decades. Of eight that arrived between 1966 and 1972 -- all captured from the wild and purchased from Marineland of the Pacific in California -- seven died of various causes, mainly pneumonia.

Only Whitewings, a female that arrived in 1971, survived. She died of a heart attack at age 36 in 2002 after an aquarium staffer reached into her stomach to remove objects such as stones, pine cones and seashells, objects that fell in the pool, were tossed in by people or dropped in by birds.

In 2001, Spinnaker, a male, arrived from the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, Japan. He'd been rescued from fishing nets and rehabilitated in 1990. In July 2005, he was joined by Laverne from SeaWorld of San Antonio, Tex., where she'd successfully given birth to a calf, Munchkin.

In October 2005 Hana, now 12, and Helen, 18, arrived from Japan, where they were also rescued from fishing nets and rehabilitated at the Enoshima Aquarium.

Given the current population of three females and one male in Vancouver, no high-profile paternity tests are needed to identify Spinnaker, 20, as the dad. "We're pretty sure who did it," Haulena muses.

Routine blood tests showing elevated levels of progesterone were the first hint of Hana's pregnancy. A followup ultrasound on Jan. 4 confirmed the presence of the rambunctious fetus.

Hana's behaviour is showing evidence of change since the pregnancy. "Much the same as humans, they might start acting differently, being a little less receptive to the males," Haulena says.

Hana was thought to be pregnant the first time when she arrived from Japan. The stillborn death was not usual for first-time cetacean mothers, but that doesn't mean she's homefree this time.

"Our concern is that she may be physically prone to not carry a fetus to term," Haulena says.

Hana continues to participate in public shows as a way to keep her exercised and mentally stimulated. Although not as quick a learner as Helen, she is loved by staff. "She's a great animal, very gentle," confirms Brian Sheehan, the aquarium's curator of marine mammals.

Hana's performance is affected by her pregnancy: Her leaps tend to be lower and she adjusts her body upon entry for more of a glide than a water-slap.

The potential upside to birthing in an aquarium is that the dolphin's hydration and nutrition can be controlled and the condition of the fetus carefully monitored. Hana's on a daily diet of about eight kilograms of herring, squid and capelin, with staff careful not to give her too much.

But no one knows if the restrictions imposed by captivity may themselves inhibit a successful birth. Even the former killer whale pool in which the dolphins now live is a mere bucket compared with the dolphin's normal open-ocean habitat. The social grouping of four animals also pales in comparison with 100 or more dolphins that may travel together in the wild.

The aquarium's goal is to double the number of dolphins to eight as part of its planned expansion, without taking any directly from the wild.

Could the unnaturalness of captivity actually harm Hana's pregnancy?

"I don't think anyone knows that," responds Haulena, a Canadian who worked nine years at the Marine Mammal Centre, a rehabilitation facility in Sausalito, Calif., before coming to Vancouver last March to replace the aquarium's long-standing veterinarian, Dr. David Huff.

Other researchers are quick to offer an answer to the same question. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Humane Society of the U.S., based in Washington, D.C., said there is "no good science" on the negative aspects of birthing in aquariums because "the people who control access to the animals don't want to know the answer to the question."

She said what is known is that at least 50 per cent of dolphin calves die in captivity, about the same mortality rate as in the wild, which means aquariums are providing no net benefit.

Rose said the small social groups of dolphins in captivity are a detriment because there is a lack of experienced "aunties" to babysit and teach other dolphins to be a good mother.

She added that dolphin calves nurse while the mother glides in short straight-line spurts -- something easily done in the open ocean, but problematic in small pools where the dolphins must constantly turn when they hit a wall. "There are a number of things that are not natural that may in fact be hindering the abilities of especially young mothers to reproduce successfully."

Rose argues there is no good reason to keep Pacific white-sided dolphins in captivity since they are not endangered in the wild, adding the Vancouver Aquarium's birthing track record is not a good one.

Of seven cetaceans born there over the years, only one, a beluga named Qila, has survived. "They haven't had a great success rate of any of the species they've held there."

If Hana's second calf dies, the aquarium has no plans to sterilize her. Aquarium policy is to allow marine mammals to live as normally as possible under the circumstances-- and that includes sexual interaction with Spinnaker.

Hana, unlike Helen, hit it off with Spinnaker right from the start. That never happened between Spinnaker and Laverne, who is now 29 and reaching the end of her calving days.

"It's hard to predict," Haulena agrees. "Whatever the chemistry, they have really liked each other."

Hana is expected to give birth around August after a gestation period of 11 to 12 months. Whether or not the other dolphins are present during the birth depends on Hana's attitude towards them in the days leading up to the big event. The vet's own attendance at the birth could be a bit problematic. His wife is due to give birth to their second child at about the same time. "It's my second, so, really, who cares, right, is that what you're getting at?" he jokes. "This should be interesting."

The dolphin fetus can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=VancouverAquarium

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN LAGENORHYNCHUS OBLIQUIDENS

- There are six species of Lagenorhynchus around the world. Pacific white-sides actually are more similar, physically and behaviourally, to dusky dolphins than to Atlantic white-sides.

- The Pacific white-sided dolphin has a short, rounded, thick beak containing 23 to 32 small, slightly curved teeth in each side of the upper and lower jaws. This dolphin is energetic and quite active and is frequently seen leaping, belly-flopping, and somersaulting. It is a strong, fast swimmer and enthusiastic bow rider, often staying with moving vessels for extended periods.

- The dolphin back is dark grey and its sides are light grey with thin, light grey stripes that extend from above the eye along the sides, widening towards the tail; its belly is white. It has a dark beak and lips and a dark ring around each eye.

- The dorsal fin is tall and sharply hooked, and is located at the center of the back. The leading edge is black and the rear portion is light grey. Its flippers are small and curved and rounded at the tips. Its flukes are notched in the centre. They reach a length of 2.1 to 2.4 metres and weigh 150 kilograms.

- In B.C., they eat herring, salmon, cod, shrimp, and capelin during all times of day.

- Sexual maturity for both sexes is reached when they are 1.8 metres, but this can vary according to geographical location. Length at birth is 80 to 95 centimetres.

- The Pacific white-sided dolphin inhabits temperate, coastal waters in the North Pacific, avoiding both tropical or Arctic waters. Its range extends from Amchitka Island in the Aleutians, to the Gulf of Alaska south along the coast of North America to the tip of Baja California. It is also found off the coast of Asia from the Kuril Islands to Japan.

- Pacific white-sided dolphins are often found in large herds of 90 to 100 or more animals. The herds are made up of animals of both sexes and all ages, and they may occasionally be seen with other dolphins and large whales. They are considered residents in some parts of their range, notably Monterey Bay and off southern California and northwestern Baja California. These resident populations are joined by transient groups from other areas from fall to spring.

- The species is not commercially hunted in Canada or the U.S. Some are taken for food in Japan's coastal fishery, most often as bycatch in fishing nets. They are difficult to catch, however, and the numbers taken are not a threat to the total population in Japanese waters. A few have been captured for display in aquariums, and unknown numbers have been accidentally killed in drift and gill nets. Population figures are unknown.

Source: American Cetacean Society and Vancouver Aquarium research associate Kathy Heise.