Whale born at SeaWorld San Antonio

Takara and baby swim at SeaWorld San Antonio. The baby was born Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. Takara and baby swim at SeaWorld San Antonio. The baby was born Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. Photo: Photo: Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Whale born at SeaWorld San Antonio 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — A new female calf joined the ranks of SeaWorld San Antonio's killer whales early Friday.

Shouts of excitement from about 20 SeaWorld employees rang out as the yet-to-be-named calf emerged just after midnight, capping a 17-month gestation period, company spokesman Brian Carter said.

“It kind of sounded like someone scored a touchdown,” he explained.

Immediately after the birth, the 7-foot calf swam to the surface of the pool for its first breath of air then cuddled with its 22-year-old mother, the theme park said.

The arrival marks the fourth whale birth at the park. The calf joins five other killer whales already there.

The baby whale is estimated to be about 7 feet long, less than half the size of 16-foot, 5,000-pound Takara.

The calf will make its public debut at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Shamu Theater's main pool, where trainers will be speaking about the pregnancy and birthing process of killer whales.

The calf's official training process will begin in about a year, but she likely will begin picking up her mother's habits immediately, Carter said. While there's no set date for the calf to be introduced to the other whales, they know about the birth, he said.

“Already they're starting to hear the baby, and they're aware,” Carter said.

He explained that introducing the baby to the other whales is akin to introducing new pets into a household — it must be done over time in controlled settings.

The calf is expected to be with the park indefinitely, but Carter said it's common for zoos and aquariums to transfer an animal to other facilities to ensure its health and social wellbeing.

Employees are continuing the 24-hour surveillance of the whale, which began weeks ago in preparation of the birth, Carter said. SeaWorld will not interfere with the animals' bonding process, he said.

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In a statement released Friday in response to the birth, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals renewed criticism of SeaWorld for its captive breeding program.