Wholphin

Hybrid

A Wholphin is the result of a bottlenose dolphin and a False Killer whale breeding together. This hybrid is extremely rare and the only Wholphins in captivity are at Sea Life Park located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Size and Looks

Wholphins are a mix between a False Killer whale and a Bottlenose dolphin so they look like they are a mix between these species. The Wholphin has a rounded head like a False Killer whale and a snout like a Bottlenose dolphin, it also has fins that look more like a Bottlenose dolphin and its skin color is a mix between the light gray of a Bottlenose dolphin and the dark gray of a False Killer whale, making a still dark gray skin tone but less than a normal False Killer whale’s skin. Bottlenose dolphins have 88 teeth, False Killer whales have 44 teeth, and a Wholphin has about 66 teeth which falls right in between the number of teeth that its parents would have. Wholphins can reach up to 22 ft (7m) and weigh around 600 lbs (272 kg). They can grow to be the size of a one year old dolphin in just a couple of months. Scientists estimate that the average Wholphin will live up to about 40 years and they live in warm and tropical waters.

Kawilikai

Kawilikai is the name of the first Wholphin in captivity. The Wholphin was born in 1985 at Sea Life Park where its parents were animals that performed shows for the park. The father was a False Killer whale named I’anui kanei and the mother was a Bottlenose dolphin named Punahele. The two parents were kept in the same tank because the people in Sea Life Park didn't think that the animals would be able to breed. But they did, making Kawilikai a surprising accident. At two years old the Wholphin was already the size of its mother which made it hard for the mother to provide enough milk for the big Wholphin. But Kawilikai turned into a healthy adult. This Wholphin has had three babies, two that didn't survive, and one, named Kei Kaimalu, that did survive. This baby is 1/4ths False Killer whale and 3/4ths Bottlenose dolphin. These two Wholphins are still living happily in Sea Life Park now. So if you are visiting Hawaii make sure to make time to go to Sea Life Park Hawaii to see these amazing creatures.

Diet

The Wholphins at the Sea Life Park are fed fish like herring and capelin, but in the wild they would just eat whatever their pod is eating, this depends on whether or not they belong to a pod of False Killer whales or a pod of Bottlenose dolphins. This is because Bottlenose dolphins and False Killer whales have a slightly different diet.

Sources

"A Dolphin Got Busy With A False Killer Whale And It Gave Us This Awesome Hybrid". All That's Interesting, 2022, https://allthatsinteresting.com/wholphin.

"Wholphin Facts". Softschools.Com, 2022, https://www.softschools.com/facts/hybrid_animals/wholphin_facts/2702/.

FACTS, WHALE. "Wholphin / Wolphin - WHALE FACTS". WHALE FACTS, 2022, https://www.whalefacts.org/wholphin/.

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