A male bottlenose dolphin calf born at Zoomarine Algarve on 2 June has been named Sami, in tribute to Sam, the park's celebrated dolphin who reached the grand age of 51 and was recognised as one of the world's oldest male bottlenose dolphins at the time.
The calf, born to Luna and Hugo, continues to be under round-the-clock care from the park's veterinary and animal welfare teams, Zoomarine announced this week.
According to the park, Sami is developing well. Since his birth, both mother and calf have been closely monitored, with particular attention paid to their health, behaviour, and the crucial early stages of the calf's development.
During the first days and weeks of life, specialists are overseeing the establishment of nursing, the development of swimming coordination, and Sami's gradual integration into the species' social group.
The birth comes as Zoomarine, which first opened its doors in 1991, celebrates its 35th anniversary.
Sami was born as part of Zoomarine's breeding programme and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's (EAZA) ex situ population management programme, which oversees animals in human care according to scientific, cooperative, and animal welfare standards.
"The birth of a bottlenose dolphin calf is always a very special moment for all of us, but it is also an opportunity to observe, from the very first hours, key stages in the lives of these animals," said Ana Salbany, Zoological Curator at Zoomarine Algarve.
She added that the close monitoring of the calf would contribute to scientific knowledge of the species while helping to raise public awareness of marine conservation through observation and the expertise built up by the park's team.
"Sami will, from the very beginning, become a new ambassador for marine life and for the importance of protecting the oceans and the biodiversity that depends on them," she said.
Earlier this year, Zoomarine was awarded the Global Humane Conservation certification by American Humane for the eighth consecutive year.
The park also operates Porto d'Abrigo, Portugal's first Marine Species Rehabilitation Centre, established in 2002, as well as the country's first Species Survival Centre dedicated to Behaviour Change, created in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Source: Zoomarine Algarve
Photo credit: Archive
