It seems like he was just born yesterday, but Foster, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, had his first birthday this week.
The dolphin was born at the aquarium on Sept. 9, 2007, to Jade, a 9-year-old dolphin. He was named Foster because he had the unusual benefit of being cared for attentively by three locating female dolphins.
“He loves to play and is eager to learn,” said Jen Bloomer, spokeswoman for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. “He spends most of his time bonding and interacting with trainers, learning new behaviors, and of course, eating lots of fish!”
A variety of celebrations will take place this week to mark the important milestone in Foster’s young life.
Visitors to the National Aquarium can share in the celebration in several ways:
- Send special birthday wishes to Foster at [email protected].
- Purchase special birthday cakes that are on sale at the aquarium’s cafes through Sunday. For each $1.25 sale, 50 cents will go toward enrichment items for Foster and friends.
- Donate birthday presents to the animal enrichment fund. With everyday items, such as jars and basketballs, the animals can practice a wide range of behaviors.
The items give the animals something new to investigate in their environment, and play helps animals, including dolphins, develop behavioral skills they need throughout life.
For information on donations to Foster and his friends, please visit aqua.org/donate.
[email protected]
