Whale-dolphin hybrid born

[Rogue 9]

Wholphin? What?

Whale-Dolphin Hybrid Has Baby Wholphin

By JEANNETTE J. LEE, Associated Press WriterFri Apr 15, 7:50 AM ET

The only whale-dolphin mix in captivity has given birth to a playful female calf, officials at Sea Life Park Hawaii said Thursday.

The calf was born on Dec. 23 to Kekaimalu, a mix of a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Park officials said they waited to announce the birth until now because of recent changes in ownership and operations at the park.

The young as-yet unnamed wholphin is one-fourth false killer whale and three-fourths Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Her slick skin is an even blend of a dolphin's light gray and the black coloring of a false killer whale.

The calf still depends fully on her mother's milk, but sometimes snatches frozen capelin from the hands of trainers, then toys with the sardine-like fish.

She is jumbo-sized compared to purebred dolphins, and is already the size of a one-year-old bottlenose.

"Mother and calf are doing very well," said Dr. Renato Lenzi, general manager of Sea Life Park by Dolphin Discovery. "We are monitoring them very closely to ensure the best care for them."

Although false killer whales and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are different species, they are classified within the same family by scientists.

"They are not that far apart in terms of taxonomy," said Louis Herman, a leading expert in the study of marine mammals.

There have been reports of wholphins in the wild, he said.

Kekaimalu, whose name means "from the peaceful ocean," was born 19 years ago after a surprise coupling between a 14-foot, 2,000-pound false killer whale and a 6-foot, 400-pound dolphin. The animals were the leads in the park's popular tourist water show, featured in the Adam Sandler movie "50 First Dates."

Kekaimalu has given birth to two other calves. One lived for nine years and the other, born when Kekaimalu was very young, died a few days after birth.

Park researchers suspect the wholphin's father is a 15-foot long Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Mikioi.

"He seems to be totally oblivious to this happening," Lenzi said.

False killer whales do not closely resemble killer whales. They grow to 20 feet, weigh up to two tons and have a tapering, rounded snout that overhangs their toothed jaw.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins reach a maximum size of 12 feet and can weigh up to 700 pounds.

Sea Life Park officials said they hope to decide on a name for the baby wholphin soon and move her to a large display tank in a few months.

[Chmee]

In a related story, Tom DeLay will propose legislation outlawing marriage of different cetacean species ....

[Enforcer Talen]

plz, think of the children. it needs a healthy family environment.

[Darth Yoshi]

Pseudorcas are dolphins too.

[Queeb Salaron]

Park researchers suspect the wholphin's father is a 15-foot long Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named Mikioi.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins reach a maximum size of 12 feet and can weigh up to 700 pounds.

Emphasis mine.

Gotta love journalistic integrity.

[Shroom Man 777]

Wait...I thought cross species fucking would result in infertile children, that's why you can tell they ain't of the same species. What gives?! I'm sure this isn't a virgin birth. So how is this possible?

[Slartibartfast]

I read "Whale-dolphin hybrid porn" and thought, WTF is rouge up now? Phew.

[Enforcer Talen]

rest assured, pics were taken.

in the interest of science, of course.

[Durandal]

Now what about the human-dolphin hybrid that Kyle Broflawski's father achieved through plastic surgery?

[Queeb Salaron]

Dammit, I told Shep to stay away from the damned killer whale pen.

[Mayabird]

Umm, killer whales are actually dolphins, just the biggest dolphins of the family. They're not true whales, which makes the hybridization more understandable and also makes the orcas part of the GDC.

[Rogue 9]

Wait...I thought cross species fucking would result in infertile children, that's why you can tell they ain't of the same species. What gives?! I'm sure this isn't a virgin birth. So how is this possible?

Not always. About one mule out of every 10,000 is fertile, for instance.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Wait...I thought cross species fucking would result in infertile children, that's why you can tell they ain't of the same species. What gives?! I'm sure this isn't a virgin birth. So how is this possible?

Not always, The standard is reproductive isolation. In the wild they normally dont mate due to premating parriers, and offspring probably arent USUALLY fertile.

[wolveraptor]

also, lions and tigers are considered different species, yet female ligers + tigons can be fertile. The trick seems to be finding male fertile hybrids. If to species can hybridize to create both male and female fertile offspring, then they are more accurately considrered subspecies.

[Darth Fanboy]

Umm, killer whales are actually dolphins, just the biggest dolphins of the family. They're not true whales, which makes the hybridization more understandable and also makes the orcas part of the GDC.

See my sig.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

Umm, killer whales are actually dolphins, just the biggest dolphins of the family. They're not true whales, which makes the hybridization more understandable and also makes the orcas part of the GDC.

These are false killer whales. They are still, technically, dolphins, but the species named in the story are false killer whales, rather than orcas.

[Darth Fanboy]

I am questioning the labeling of this animal as a Wholphin, seeing as how False Killer Whales are indeed in the Dolphin family as Terwynn is saying. This is not a Whale/Dolphin hybrid, so how can you use the name?

[Winston Blake]

I am questioning the labeling of this animal as a Wholphin, seeing as how False Killer Whales are indeed in the Dolphin family as Terwynn is saying. This is not a Whale/Dolphin hybrid, so how can you use the name?

Since it's not exactly going to be an official scientific name, i think wholphin is fine, based on the common names of the parents. Donkeys and horses are in the same family, but we call their hybrids mules.

Besides, it's sounds funny.

[Darth Wong]

Donkeys and horses are in the same family, but we call their hybrids mules.

They have different chromosome counts, so it's no wonder we refer to their offspring (which in turn have a fractional chromosome count) by a different name.

[Darth Raptor]

These are false killer whales. They are still, technically, dolphins, but the species named in the story are false killer whales, rather than orcas.

Proper orcas are delphinids too.

[Darth Fanboy]

Donkeys and horses are in the same family, but we call their hybrids mules.
.

But "mule" isnt a combination of the words Dolphin and Whale, which is what I am getting at.

[Sriad]

Henceforth, mules shall be known as honkies.

[Broomstick]

Wait...I thought cross species fucking would result in infertile children, that's why you can tell they ain't of the same species. What gives?! I'm sure this isn't a virgin birth. So how is this possible?

Actually, there's now a record of a mule giving birth so apparently that rule isn't as hard and fast as once believed.

Cross-species hybrids can be typcially infertile, such as horses/donkeys, or typically fertile, such as wolf/dog. Since species are believed to diverge over time it would make sense that there is no hard and fast line between them, and that you could have distinct breeding populations where, occassionally, some cross-species dalliance occurs. Keep in mind, too, that species are defined in part by who normally breeds with whom. Lions and tigers do not normally breed in the wild, but can be crossed in captivity and will do so if there are no speicies-appropriate individual during breeding times. Captive specimens are far more likely to cross-breed than critters in the wild. Even when animals do cross the species barrier in the wild, I'd suspect the circumstances are unusual.

[wolveraptor]

Captive specimens are far more likely to cross-breed than critters in the wild

So captive specimens are far more eager to fuck than wild specimens, huh? I say we test this hypothesis numerous, numerous times (for the sake of science, of course)....any volunteers?

Question on cross-species sex: I've heard the phrase "ring-species" used in this context. Am I correct in saying that a ring species is one whose compatibility with closely related species depends on distance from the other species' habitat? Or something like that?

[Broomstick]

Captive specimens are far more likely to cross-breed than critters in the wild

So captive specimens are far more eager to fuck than wild specimens, huh?

Nope - in fact, in many cases, less likely to fuck. It's just that when they do get around to fucking their choices are so limited. If the only partner available is something not of their species, well, it's either that or celibacy. Humans, who supposedly have more self-control, don't readily choose the latter, why would animals?