This past Wednesday, March 10, Jade, an 11-year-old Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin and previously successful mother, gave birth to her second calf. The new calf joins 10 other Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the Aquarium pools. Right now, the aquarium has closed down the bottlenose performances and viewing sessions, in order to give the new baby time to bond with her mother and the other dolphins who will be part of its pod. The calf has been swimming along alongside Jade and Shiloh, a 31-year-old experienced mother, and has been observed taking synchronized breaths with Jade, as well as nursing. You can read more about the birth here. The video shows the dolphin's live birth.

The calf was approximately 30 pounds in weight and 2-3 feet long at birth. The sex of the calf is not yet known, but the baby will nurse from its mother for the first three months or so of its life; after that, trainers will begin offering it fresh fish when they feed the baby's mother. The baby will have started growing teeth at about three months of age.

According to the National Acquarium, 33% of calves do not survive their first year of life in either the ocean or in aquariums, but they have been quite successful in terms of baby dolphin survivals. Jade's previous calf Foster will turn three in September.