Dolphin Calf Frolicks with Mom at SeaWorld San Diego

This energetic dolphin calf was born at SeaWorld San Diego on Nov. 28, 2008. Estimated to be a healthy 35 - 40 lbs. and 3 1/2 - 4 feet long, the calf is regularly nursing from her mother, Tobie, and growing steadily.

The female calf was conceived through artificial insemination with sperm that had undergone a gender-selection process. Responsibly managing captive populations is a challenging process, and the ability to choose the sex of a zoo or aquarium baby allows these organizations to maintain a healthy balance.

This birth marks the seventh time a marine mammal has successfully given birth to a calf conceived through the use of sperm-sexing research, which involves separating sperm carrying a female-producing X chromosome from sperm carrying a male-producing Y chromosome. This birth further demonstrates the effectiveness of artificial insemination, sperm cryopreservation and sperm sexing as tools that zoological institutions around the globe could use to better manage their species' genetic diversity. Furthermore, the techniques and knowledge gained from this advancement have the potential to be applied to marine and terrestrial mammals in the wild, including endangered species.