UPDATE 1-20-97 at 3:00 p.m. EST
J.J., the infant gray whale under the care of Sea World’s Animal Care team, registered a 70-pound weight gain this weekend, bringing her total weight to 1,840 pounds. She is also suckling all two gallons of her formula every four hours through a special nursing device created by Sea World. All vital signs continue to be stable, and J.J. appears very alert and interested in the animal care people who enter the pool with her. She initiates contact with them, and appears to enjoy being rubbed down after each feeding. Although Sea World’s veterinarians and animal care department remain very encouraged with J.J.’s progress, they stress that the calf’s condition remains stable. The next four to six weeks will be critical for the calf. The whale was named J.J. in honor of the late Judi Jones, a registered nurse who was the director of operations for Friends of the Sea Lion, an animal rescue organization based in Laguna. This section of the Animal Database will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
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