The Vancouver Aquarium's new baby beluga remains under 24-hour surveillance nine days after she was born.
The new addition to the aquarium, who still hasn't been named, is the main attraction for visitors, spurring a 25 per cent spike in attendance.
Aquarium staff say they have noticed the baby beluga begin to venture out on her own in recent days, after spending the first week pretty close to her 13-year-old mother, Qila.
The change has Aquarium staff feeling like overprotective parents.
"She has some interesting little habits like swimming away from mom, which gets everyone a little worried," said Clint Wright, senior vice-president of the Aquarium.
Wright says the 50-kilogram baby is filling out and becoming a little more round, but staff are working hard to make sure she is not burning off more calories than she takes in.
The describe the experience as similar to new parenthood, during which they never stop worrying about the health and safety of the baby.
Tuvaq, the last baby beluga born at the Aquarium, died just days shy of his third birthday in July 2005.
"We do four hour shifts, we keep track of things like respirations, nursing behavior, various other bodily functions," said Wendy Blackshaw, a volunteer at the aquarium.
"I don't think for a long time we'll stop worrying, 'is that correct, is that right'," Wright said.
The aquarium also has a new poolside gift shop selling baby beluga souvenirs.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson
