SEWARD, Alaska — Experts from Georgia Aquarium are lending the expertise in helping save the life of a baby beluga whale in Alaska.
Crews from the local aquarium are among several from around the country that have traveled to Seward, Alaska after an orphaned 4-week-old beluga whale calf was rescued from Cook Inlet on Sept. 30.
Georgia Aquarium staff answered the call from Alaska SeaLife Center for experts to help with constant 24-hour-a-day care for the calf – a member of the critically endangered population in that area.
“We’re all committed to the animals in our care at our respective facilities, but we’re also committed to the wild populations of the animals in our ocean,” said vice president of zoological operations at Georgia Aquarium, Eric Gaglione. “Any time we can help these populations, whether it’s a beluga whale calf, a dolphin disentanglement, or a turtle rescue, our goal is to help the preservation of this species.”
The most recent update from the ASLC reports that the baby whale is suckling specially made formula through a special tube handled by his caregiver.
Hydration is vital for the improvement of his health officials said.
“With any cetacean rescue, particularly with a neonatal calf, there is a high risk of complication and survival is estimated at less than 10 percent,” the organization said in released statement. “The beluga calf was 162 centimeters long (64 inches) and weighed 64.5 kilograms (142 pounds) when it arrived at the Center.”
To see continued updates on the condition of this beluga calf, visit news.GeorgiaAquarium.org.
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