Dolphin babies!
July 31, 2008
People love babies. We love human babies, we love polar bear babies and we sure as heck love dolphin babies. That’s why when the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced today that a healthy, female dolphin calf was born last Sunday, just two weeks after a disappointing stillbirth to another expecting mother in the pod, only one question was on my mind: when do we get to see it?
Never.
No, that’s a lie. Can you imagine? But the truth is almost as painful to the animal enthusiast in me: almost never. According to Aquarium spokeswoman Jen Bloomer, it may be a couple of years before the new calf is weaned from her mother and free to leave the nursing pool, which is strategically located in the back of the amphitheater where visitors “may catch a glimpse of the baby as she surfaces with her mother for a breath of air,” the news release says, but don’t have any chance of seeing the tot up close.
The truth is, as much as I’d like to pet the slippery bundle of joy, the trainers seem to be doing the right thing by keeping the public at a distance.
“The natural pattern of the animals is to stay with their mothers, and we don’t disrupt that,” Bloomer said.
Sure, the Aquarium could use the calf as a marketing ploy to attract massive crowds of “Flipper fans” to the downtown tourist attraction, but I respect them for not taking that route. People may love babies, but they also love organizations that don’t sacrifice babies’ well-being for a buck (err, 29 bucks, the going-rate for an all-inclusive adult ticket.)
Of course, for those of us who REALLY love babies (and dolphins, and interactive tours and spending large sums of money), the Aquarium offers a Dolphin Encounter immersion tour, where, for a measly $195 per person, “bottlenose buffs” can actually touch the Aquarium’s most popular talent. And, according to Bloomer, “people that do our immersion tours — they get an opportunity to kind of see the dolphins in the back pool.”
For those of you who need help with the math, back pool = nursing pool = baby dolphin.
So what do you think? Is the Aquarium doing the right thing by not marketing the new baby, even if it could pull in an influx of visitors? And, while we’re at it, do you think it’s worth $195 to get a glimpse of the new calf?
ANNE RILEY, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentComments
Got something to say?
-
Business
Business posts- UnderArmour to supply apparel for SEC
- The next Great Depression: How ya like them apples?
- It’s all for the kids
- Will CEG shareholders support EDF’s bid?
- Battle of the Beltway
- Any price is too high if you’re broke
- Maryland: 10th-fastest internet speeds in nation
- Where the deals are
- Phelps named Sportsman of the Year
- Can SUV sales make a comeback?
Law
Law posts- Tis’ the season for layoffs
- A case of mistaken identity
- Beware of the blogging juror
- Inmate sought to intervene in Wells Fargo suit
- What’s behind that law firm’s headcount?
- Law blog round-up
- This week in Maryland Lawyer
- A history of football in Baltimore, courtesy of a lawsuit
- Baltimore crime stuck at 12th-worst in U.S.
- First a mongrel Mercedes, now a botched Bentley
Recent Posts
- Tis’ the season for layoffs
- UnderArmour to supply apparel for SEC
- The next Great Depression: How ya like them apples?
- A case of mistaken identity
- It’s all for the kids
Recent Comments
- Jacki Pearlman: Unfortunately, the game will not live up to it’s hype. I am a diehard Redskins fan after being...
- Isolde: Anybody remember GreedyAssociates.com? That’s basically a forum for ads and political weirdos now. Why?...
- Liz Farmer: Thanks for chiming in guys. Ed, you are exactly right. I did not include this in my original post but...
- Rick Rigini: Did you ever read the children’s book Norman the Doorman?
- Ed Waters Jr.: In many articles, it seems the writers tend to overlook the fact that some people need an SUV (or...
On Commenting
We ask that our readers follow a few guidelines, noted below.Please do not post any personal attacks, profanity, spam or other advertisements — they will be removed. Also, please post using only one name or pseudonym, as this consistency helps establish a sense of community. We will delete posts if they are signed with different names but originate from the same IP or email address. And if you’re going to comment using a proper name, please make it your own. Deliberate misrepresentations will be removed.