Vancouver Aquarium staff are feeling cautiously optimistic about the prospects for a baby beluga whale after it successfully bonded with mom.
In the hours after the baby was born on Tuesday afternoon, mother Qila appeared to show little interest in her new, as yet , unnamed baby.
But things began to improve after Qila's mother Aurora was brought into the tank to show her daughter what to do.
"Actually the calf initiated the contact, she wriggled over and climbed on Qila's back and they've been inseparable ever since,'' said the Vancouver Aquarium's Dr. Clint Wright. "It's terrific.''
In the hours after the birthing was complete, Wright said aquarium staff were very anxious to get the nursing process started.
"That first feed is really important because it provides all the antibodies the baby needs, really kick starts the immune system so it's really critical she gets that,'' he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, mother and daughter could be seen swimming together in perfect unison, with mom doing most of the work and baby gliding along in the slipstream, conserving her energy.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's David Kincaid
