A New Year’s miracle happened at the Moskvarium Center for Oceanography and Marine Biology. Here, for the first time in the history of Russia, a killer whale calf was born in an artificial habitat. The weight of the newborn baby is 150 kilograms, length is about two meters.

The orca named Naya was pregnant for 18 months. All this time she was under the supervision of trainers and veterinarians. Despite all the difficulties during the 10-hour labor, the Moskvarium team managed to help the baby be born. She was able to swim out on her own for her first breath and began to breastfeed. Naya accepted her cub.

Specialists continue to monitor the family around the clock, because the newborn period is the most critical for cetacean calves. What lies ahead is the establishment of breastfeeding, the development of the baby’s immunity, and Naya’s recovery after a difficult birth.