“[Jeju=Newsis] Reporter Oh Young-jae = It has been observed that ‘Chunsami’, a Jeju Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin that was released from a confined aquarium into the vast ocean over 10 years ago, has recently given birth for the third time.”
“Director Oh Seung-mok of DocuJeju and the Jeju University Cetacean and Marine Life Conservation Research Center announced on the 1st that ‘Chunsami’ is believed to have given birth last month.”
“On November 12th, the DocuJeju team discovered a distinct baby dolphin swimming alongside ‘Chunsami’ off the coast of Jongdal-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, and began focused tracking. Between the 26th and 29th of last month, the mother and calf were seen together 26 times over four days.”
“The team explained that the calf dolphin had prominent fetal folds, which form while growing inside the mother’s womb, indicating that it was born not long ago.”
“‘Chunsami’ and the baby dolphin are reportedly in excellent health, living in the northern waters of Jeju City within a large dolphin group.”
“However, sometimes baby dolphins might follow adult dolphins other than their mothers, leading to potential misunderstanding. Therefore, it’s noted that land-based observations alone make it challenging to determine the facts accurately. Current focused monitoring is underway to confirm whether it is indeed ‘Chunsami’s’ calf.”
“‘Chunsami’ was captured at the age of 9 in 2009 and lived in an aquarium for over four years. It was then released back into nature on July 18, 2013. It is estimated that ‘Chunsami’ has given birth three times in the waters of Jeju over the past 12 years.”