Viral video: Beluga whale named Bella gives birth to male calf, leaves netizens delighted

An adorable video of a beluga whale giving birth to a male calf half has gone viral on social media. The beluga whale, named Bella is a resident of Shedd Aquarium, located in the USA.

Taking to Twitter, Shedd Aquarium informed that the whale gave birth to the calf on August 21 after 15 hours of labor.  "This was a noteworthy birth, with the calf born headfirst instead of the usual fluke-first birth," it added. The newborn calf weighs 139 pounds and measures 5’3" in length.

"As the calf swam to the surface and took its first breath, it brought with it the palpable hope of new life and fresh beginnings—something we all appreciate," said Dr Bridget Coughlin, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium.

Check out the viral video below:

BIG NEWS: Bella has given birth to an energetic male calf!
The calf was born on 8/21 at 8:42 p.m. after 15 hours of labor. This was a noteworthy birth, with the calf born headfirst instead of the usual fluke-first birth.

More on the blog: https://t.co/pHDTAQ9kVb pic.twitter.com/S0iGl0IhiH

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) August 24, 2020

Bella is the first time mother and is 14-year-old. According to the Aquarium, belugas and dolphins, when become mother for the first time, experience a higher calf mortality rate.

In the 1.29 minute-long video, people can be seen screaming with joy as the whale delivers the baby successfully. 

To ensure that the calf and the mother remain in good health, the animal care team is monitoring them around-the-clock.

Netizens too were absolutely delighted after watching the birth clip shared by Shedd Aquarium and had a lot to say to express their happiness. The post has since then been flooded with comments.