Wholphin

A wholphin or wolphin is an extremely rare hybrid born from a mating of a female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with a male false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens). The name implies a hybrid of whale and dolphin, although taxonomically, both are within the "oceanic dolphin" family, which is within the "toothed whale" suborder. The first recorded wholphin was born in a Tokyo SeaWorld, but he died after 200 days. The first wholphin in the United States and the first to survive was Kekaimalu, born at Sea Life Park in Hawaii on May 15, 1985; her name means "from the peaceful ocean". Although they have been reported to exist in the wild, only one is currently in captivity, at Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

Contents

• Kekaimalu the wholphin
• Wholphin
• Family tree
• References

They are extremely intermediate between both parents. Since a bottlenose may have about 88 teeth and a false killer whale has about 44, a wholphin will have 66. They are smaller than a false killer whale but are larger than a normal bottlenose.

Kekaimalu proved fertile when she gave birth at a very young age. The calf died after a few days. However, in 1991, Kekaimalu gave birth once again, to daughter Pohaikealoha. For two years, she cared for the calf, but did not nurse it; it was hand-reared by trainers. Pohaikealoha died at age 9. On December 23, 2004, Kekaimalu had her third calf, daughter Kawili Kai, sired by a male bottlenose. This calf did nurse and was very playful. Only months after birth, it was the size of a one-year-old bottlenose dolphin. All three calves were three-quarters bottlenose dolphin and one-quarter false killer whale. Both Kekaimalu and Kawili Kai remain in captivity and are now part of the normal tour at Sea Life Park.