The first day of life should be special for all newborns, the bonding with mom, our first experiences, and all the events of the first day should be momentous.

The initial day in the existence of the newborn calf of Qila, the Beluga whale kept in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium, went off without a problem Wednesday.

The, as yet, unnamed newborn weighted into the world at about 100 pounds and approximately 53 inches of vigorous life, she spent the first hours quietly, before nursing about three to five times an hour. A sight that allowed aquarium personnel to breathe easier and head home knowing the calf was in good hands. Can we expect the calf naming contest that inevitably follows such new arrivals at the aquarium, without a doubt; just get your suggestions ready.

Stopping for a breath, the newborn would dart across the big pool, stopping occasionally to sneak a peak into an adjoining pool through a grate at her curious grandmother Aurora, smiling back at her. The newborn would occasionally vocalize to the delight of the crowd in response to the vocalizations of her mother and grandmother.

Qila seemed comfortable with the feeding calf and took on the mothers’ role quickly, instinctively taking the time to replenish her fish supplies with huge quantities of herring in order to produce the high-fat milk the calf needs to live, when not feeding the calf.

The joy the sight of the newborn calf brings to the kids and families that come down to the aquarium cannot be deigned, but at what cost, does an animal like this deserve to be in captivity?
This is a question that is being juggled by aquariums more and more, every day, in a world where animal species are disappearing daily. How do we balance the human desire to learn about the world and the animals in it, with the welfare of the animals in question?

Newborn calves should ideally be born and reared in the wild, not a human designed habitat, which can never truly be the same. Many would say that the calf would never know the difference having been born in captivity, but this doesn’t excuse disrespecting such a beautiful animal. Beluga whales were meant to swim free not kept as entertainment for humans, it’s demeaning towards Beluga whales and arrogant of humans to think there’s nothing wrong with such behaviour.

It’s true that we will need to create even larger artificial habitats in the future if we keep destroying the natural habitats that exist on the Earth. Especially, if there are going to be any animals for future generations to enjoy and coexist with, we may need to design and create habitats that would make the current ones seem like a petting zoo. I just question whether this is an answer or just a stalling measure that only forestalls the inevitable demise of all wildlife on planet Earth. Maybe the answer hasn’t been invented or thought of yet; at least we can hope so, for the sake of all life on spaceship Earth.

Somewhere, a talented young mind is reading this and thinking about the problem in away never dreamed of before, at least that’s my thought.