Wholphin: A Rare Hybrid Animal That Can Reproduce

Zach Taras
·4-min read
wolphin, wholphin
This hybrid species of marine mammals has only been observed in captivity. Mark Interrante/Wikimedia Commons

The wholphin (sometimes spelled wolphin) is the result of crossbreeding between a male false killer whale and a female bottlenose dolphin. The label "wholphin" combines the names of both parent species.

Although there have been only a few confirmed wholphins in existence, they have attracted attention for their rarity and hybrid nature. They're not something you'll see every day in the wild, and their survival in natural habitats is still a bit of a mystery.

Famous Wholphins

The first recorded wholphin born in captivity was in 1981 at Sea World Tokyo, although it only lived 200 days. In 1985, at Sea Life Park in Hawaii, a female wholphin was born and named Kekaimalu. This event marked a significant moment in marine biology.

As we'll see, Kekaimalu remains the most studied example of this creature, with offspring that has also survived. While there have been sightings of wholphins in the wild, much of what we know comes from those bred in captivity.

Hybrid Nature of the Wholphin

The wholphin is a hybrid animal, born from the mating of a male false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) and a female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The wholphin's existence is extremely rare in nature due to the different behaviors and habitats of the parent species.

A wholphin was born at Sea Life Park in Hawaii on May 15, 1985. The male false killer whale and the female bottlenose dolphin successfully produced a baby wholphin that quickly became a subject of scientific interest.

One of the most famous wholphins, a female named Kekaimalu, gave birth to a daughter, Kawili Kai, at Sea Life Park in 2004. Kekaimalu herself had already given birth to two calves, with Kawili Kai being her third calf.

These hybrid animals have been raised in captivity since their creation, and their specific blend of characteristics continues to fascinate marine biologists and visitors alike.

Physical Characteristics

The wholphin has a body that is halfway between the size of a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. Kekaimalu, for example, grew to be about 12 feet (3.7 meters) long and weighed around 1,000 pounds (454 kg), placing her neatly between the sizes of her parent species.

A wholphin's skin is a darker gray than the typical light gray of dolphins but lighter than the jet-black color of the false killer whale. Its head is more dolphin-like, with a pronounced, sleek snout, while its dorsal fin and flippers are larger than those of a bottlenose dolphin.

Wholphins' teeth are also curious: While bottlenose dolphins usually have 88 teeth and false killer whales have 44, wholphins typically have 66 teeth, a perfect average between their parents.

Life Cycle

Wholphins share a similar life cycle to their parent species, with the same stages of birth, development and maturation.

Like dolphins, baby wholphins are born live and are nursed by their mothers for up to two years. They grow rapidly in their early years, reaching a size much larger than that of a dolphin calf. For example, Kekaimalu grew at a rate far exceeding that of a normal dolphin, thanks to her hybrid genetics.

Since female wholphins are fertile, Kekaimalu was able to give birth to multiple calves, including her famous daughter, Kawili Kai. This fertility is unusual because hybrids are typically sterile, but in this case, the female wholphin passed on her genes, continuing the hybrid line.

The life expectancy of a wholphin is believed to be comparable to that of dolphins and false killer whales, which live around 40 to 60 years in captivity.

Viability in the Wild

The viability of wholphins in the wild remains a subject of debate among scientists. While the wholphin inherits traits from both dolphins and false killer whales, its hybrid nature makes it unclear whether it could thrive in a natural environment.

False killer whales and bottlenose dolphins live in different types of groups and habitats, with different social structures and behaviors. A wholphin might struggle to find its place among either species in the wild.

Furthermore, because of their extremely rare occurrence in nature, wholphins have only been observed in captivity, where they are carefully monitored and cared for by marine experts. Wholphins like Kekaimalu and her daughter Kawili Kai at Sea Life Park or the first wholphin born at Tokyo SeaWorld are evidence that these animals can live healthy lives in controlled environments.

However, the ability of a wholphin to navigate the peaceful ocean and survive in the wild without human intervention remains largely speculative.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.

Original article: Wholphin: A Rare Hybrid Animal That Can Reproduce

Copyright © 2024 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company

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