Did Cape May Beachgoers See a Baby Dolphin Being Born? [VIDEO]
Did people on a Cape May Beach witness a dolphin giving birth last weekend? Take a look at a short video and see if you can tell what happened.
Beachgoers on Grant Avenue Beach in Cape May last Saturday became excited when they saw a pod of dolphins swimming and splashing close to shore.
Seeing so many dolphins close to shore is always a thrill, but as people took out their phones and ran down close to the ocean for a better look, many came to believe what they were seeing was actually a dolphin giving birth to a baby.
Dozens of people who were on the beach that day have posted on the Cape May Facebook page saying they witnessed one dolphin come particularly close to shore, so close that it seemed that she might come up on the beach.
The other dolphins almost seemed to be trying to help this possible mama dolphin get closer to shore, according to some on the scene.
Then, there were sightings of a smaller, baby dolphin, a calve, near the mother.
Seaworld.com says this is in keeping with what happens during a dolphin birth.
Calves are born in the water. Deliveries are usually tail-first, but head-first deliveries are also seen. The umbilical cord snaps during delivery.
Sometimes an assisting dolphin may stay close to the new mother and calf. Although this assisting dolphin often is referred to as an "auntie" dolphin, it may be male or female. This auntie dolphin is often the only other dolphin a mother allows near her calf.
While no one can be absolutely certain if a dolphin was born last Saturday, many people who were there seem to think that's what they saw.
What do you think? Take a look at the photos and a video taken of the dolphins and let me know your thoughts. Thanks to Bob Sullivan Sr. for photos 1-5 and the video and to Nancy Goldhayn Kenyon for photo 6.