Whale of a discovery! Meet the ‘wholphin’
A first-of-its-kind ‘wholphin’ – a cross between a whale and a dolphin – has been discovered in the sea off Hawaii. Researchers studying a pod of rarely-spotted melon-headed whales noticed that one particular creature stood out. As they continued to watch, the experts grew more curious until eventually they collected a DNA sample for testing. And they found the creature was not a melon-headed whale nor a rough-toothed dolphin – the latter of which is common to the area. It was in fact a mix of the two. The US-based Cascadia Research Collective, which found the ‘wholphin’, said both species belong to the Delphinidae family. Project leader Robin Baird added: ‘Hybrids
among different species of whales and dolphins have been previously recorded, but this is the first case of a hybrid between these two species, and only the third confirmed case [with genetics] of a wild-born hybrid between two [Delphinidae] species.’ The animal was likely fathered by a roughtoothed dolphin, while its mother is believed to be a melon-headed whale. Melon-headed whales – which grow to around 10ft – do not usually swim in the waters around Hawaii, Mr Baird said, so their appearance was unusual enough. The team hopes to return next month to catch another glimpse of the ‘wholphin’.