Sometimes a dolphin falls in love with a dolphin that’s not their own kind! And when that happens, the baby is called a “hybrid”.
Ever hear of a Wolphin? That’s a hybrid of a Bottlenose dolphin and a False Killer whale (which *we* know is really a dolphin in disguise; see Killers in Disguise)
Scroll down, and you’ll see a picture of a Wolphin!
I love hybrids…they’re fascinating. They happen with captive dolphins as well as wild ones. Here are some examples:
- 2006 Whale Watching Data: “Feb 6…1 hybrid Bottlenose / Risso’s dolphin!!”*
- In 2000, a hybrid between Dusky dolphin / Southern Rightwhale dolphin was photographed off Argentina!** (see photo below)
- In 1933, three strange dolphins beached of the Irish coast; they appeared to be hybrids between Risso’s dolphin / Bottlenose dolphin.
Interestingly, it appears that hybrid dolphins can also reproduce. Sea World has a Wolphin that recently had a baby Wolphin, fathered by a Bottlenose.
To show you how amazing these hybrids are, check out the examples below…and keep scrolling down if you want to see the Dusky/Southern Rightwhale dolphin hybrid, it’s just amazing!
Dusky/Southern Rightwhale dolphin hybrid:
A) Dusky dolphin
B) Southern Rightwhale dolphin
C) Photographed hybrid of both
Stay tuned for my next post on albino dolphins!
* read the Whale Watching log
** read more on Dusky/S. Rightwhale dolphin hybrid
