Beluga calf at Georgia Aquarium: slow growth, cautious optimism

The baby beluga at the Georgia Aquarium has passed some major milestones, but is still not out of the woods.

Born on May 10 — Mother’s Day — she began nursing in earnest at five days, and has become a good swimmer, keeping pace with her mother, Maris, according to aquarium staff.

Yet she has gained only a tiny amount from her birth weight of 126 pounds, a source of some concern.

“We’re pleased that her weight is stable,” said Eric Gaglione, director of zoological operations/mammals and birds. “We are hoping she will turn a corner soon, and we’ll be getting some good steady growth.”

The calf’s slow weight gain is Gaglione’s most serious worry. While the calf, who has not yet been named, is successfully nursing 24 to 40 minutes a day, she weighs in at only 127 pounds, or about a pound more than her birth weight. For that reason, the aquarium staff continues to supplement her nursing with a high-protein, high-fat liquid four or five times a day, in a tube that they slip down her throat and into her stomach. The liquid mimics the qualities of her mother’s breast milk.

Gaglione said the feeding procedure takes place in a medical pool with an underwater lift, which allows aquarium staff to stand while feeding the infant and also allows the mother, Maris, to stay with the calf during the process. He said Maris has grown to trust Dr. Tonya Clauss, director of animal health, and other staff members, though the mother beluga was nervous at first when staffers were near the infant.

The birth is significant: This calf is the first viable infant born to parents who themselves were born in human care, according to aquarium personnel. The baby’s father is Beethoven, who lived at the Georgia Aquarium for several years before being transferred to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on a breeding loan.

Georgia Aquarium’s other belugas, Qinu and Grayson, are being kept out of the infant beluga’s pool for the time being, until their caretakers are satisfied that the nursing calf won’t be distracted by their presence. All four belugas are currently off-exhibit.

Maris, who weighs 1,800 pounds, has gotten hungrier due to the extra demands of lactation, said nutritionist Dr. Lisa Hoopes.

The mother beluga was eating about 22 kilograms of herring and capelin a day toward the end of her pregnancy, but that amount has been increased to 40 kilograms, or about 88 pounds of fish. “She needs to mobilize a lot of energy to make that high-fat milk,” said Hoopes, “so we’ve been ramping up her diet over last couple of days.”

Dr. Gregory Bossart, senior vice president and chief veterinary officer, said estimating the calf’s chances of survival is difficult, in that conditions change every day. “If it wasn’t for our team’s intervention to supplement the calf’s diet, I believe she would probably not be alive today.”

There are few statistics on the survivability of belugas born in captivity. According to aquarium staffers, of the 33 belugas at North American facilities, 21 were born under human care. There have been six successful beluga whale births at these facilities in the past five years.