Dolphin spotted giving birth in Potomac River

When researchers spotted a dolphin giving birth in the wild in August, it was only the third documented observation of a wild dolphin birth. What made it even more unusual was where it took place. The siting was in the Potomac River, where it flows from Washington, D.C. to the Chesapeake Bay. Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops trunctaus) appear to be on the rise in the river, reports the Washington Post. In 2015, researchers identified about 200 individuals. Now, they’re counting over 1,000.

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Header Image: A dolphin appears alongside its newborn calf in the Potomac River. ©Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project. Taken under NOAA NMFS Permit No. 19403