A baby common bottlenose dolphin born Thursday has been attracting visitors at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, at times swimming beside its mother.
The male juvenile weighs roughly 30 kg and is roughly 1.3 meters long. It was the first dolphin to be born at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in four years.
The animal's father and mother were both caught by drive fishing off Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, which gained notoriety for its annual cull of dolphins herded into a cove.
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to which Hakkeijima Sea Paradise belongs, has ordered its members to cease acquiring dolphins from the Taiji hunt.
The center now plans to work with other aquariums to continue its breeding programs.
"We want many people to come visit us — it's a rare opportunity to see a cute baby dolphin," a Hakkeijima Sea Paradise official said.