BORN 95cm long and weighing 15kg - the size of an average three-year-old child - this cheeky youngster is the spitting image of her proud mum.

While newborn dolphin calves are usually joined at mum's hip in the wild, the pint-sized tearaway is already racing off around its pool at Sea World on the Gold Coast where it even managed to arrive early to get the jump on the Queensland weather.

"The calf was due on Australia Day but was actually born a week earlier than we were expecting, on Monday 21 January, so it was a wonderful surprise," Sea World marine mammal trainer Erin King said.

"We were also very glad that the calf came before the wild weather so (mum) Sunnie had time to settle into a routine before the heavy rain and winds set in, especially as the calf is a cheeky little thing.

"We have noticed that the calf is very energetic, strong and quite independent for her age, often racing off around the pool without her mum, which is quite rare for such a young calf."

To celebrate the arrival of its newest member Sea World is holding a naming competition through Facebook and the amusement park's corporate partner Eveready Dolphin, with the winner receiving a family holiday to meet the baby.

The calf is the offspring of Sunnie and dad Kiama, who are both first time parents at 10 years of age.