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Whale born in captivity in May dies at Georgia Aquarium

This July 4, 2012, file photo, shows Dennis Christen of the Georgia Aquarium feeding a bottle to a baby beluga calf being rehabilitated at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The baby beluga whale that was believed to be just two days old when it was found stranded after a storm near Naknek, Alaska, has died. A team of marine mammal experts provided the young whale with around-the-clock care at the Alaska SeaLife Center. But the center says that despite its best efforts, the whale died early Monday morning, July 9, 2012. This July 4, 2012, file photo, shows Dennis Christen of the Georgia Aquarium feeding a bottle to a baby beluga calf being rehabilitated at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The baby beluga whale that was believed to be just two days old when it was found stranded after a storm near Naknek, Alaska, has died. A team of marine mammal experts provided the young whale with around-the-clock care at the Alaska SeaLife Center. But the center says that despite its best efforts, the whale died early Monday morning, July 9, 2012.

By Associated Press June 5, 2015 2 min read

This Sunday May 10, 2015 photo provided by Georgia Aquarium, shows a beluga whale calf swimming close to her 20-year-old mother, Maris, in the first few hours after birth at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The young beluga calf, heralded as a milestone for whales born in captivity, has died. The Georgia Aquarium says the female calf, not yet a month old, died Friday, June 5, 2015, next to her mother. When the whale was born May 10, aquarium officials called it the first “viable calf” to be delivered from parents who were born in captivity. Aquarium spokeswoman Jessica Fontana says preliminary tests show that the calf may have had gastrointestinal problems and difficulty digesting nutrients. Officials say a necropsy will be conducted, but the calf’s exact cause of death may never be clear. (Georgia Aquarium via AP)

ATLANTA — A young beluga calf, heralded as a milestone for whales born in captivity, has died.

The Georgia Aquarium says the female calf, not yet a month old, died Friday morning next to her mother.

When the whale was born May 10, aquarium officials called it the first “viable calf” to be delivered from parents who were born in captivity.

Aquarium spokeswoman Jessica Fontana says preliminary tests show that the calf may have had gastrointestinal problems and difficulty digesting nutrients. Officials say a necropsy will be conducted, but the calf’s exact cause of death may never be clear.

The calf’s mother, Maris, was born at the New York Aquarium. Her father, Beethoven, was born at SeaWorld San Antonio.

In 2012, Maris delivered a female calf that died days after birth.