This article is about
the animal Wholphin.
Kawili
Kai, born to a female wholphin by a male dolphin, at 9 months of age in
September 2005
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 Hawai.
They
are extremely intermediate between both parents. Since a Bottle Nose 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 Bottle Nose.
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.
