January 21, 1997 – J.J., the California gray whale calf transported to Sea World Jan. 11 in near-comatose condition, has learned to accept a feeding device and drink formula offered by her caretakers. According to veterinarians, this is an important step toward nursing on her own. Previously, Sea World animal care specialists had to place a tube down the calf’s throat and into her stomach to funnel formula to her. With increasing strength, J.J. can now suck for several minutes at a time, and has accepted the nipple device created by the Sea World’s animal care staff. The nursing device consists of a rigid, narrow tube placed inside a larger, more pliable one. The other end of the larger tube is then placed into an insulated thermos, which holds two gallons of a warmed concoction of heavy cream, clams and a powdered milk substitute. The formula, created to simulate the nutritional and caloric content of whale milk, appears to be having the desired results. During her physical exam Sunday, J.J. registered a 70-pound weight gain since her last check-up Friday morning. She now weighs 1,840 pounds. All vital signs appear stable, and she is not showing any signs of infection. She is alert and initiates contact Sea World animal care specialists in the pool with her. Although Sea World veterinary and animal care staff are encouraged by her progress, they stress that it is still too early to upgrade the calf’s condition from "stable." The next month will be critical for J.J.
If the whale survives to maturity, she could reach a length of 48 feet and a weight of 35 tons. An adult gray whale eats 2,400 pounds of food a day, scraping its nutrition off the bottom of the ocean. Updates on J.J.’s condition are available 24 hours a day by calling the Shamu Hotline at 1-800-23-SHAMU.
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