Dolphin calf dies just minutes after being born at SeaWorld in Orlando to mother who became pregnant while on birth control

• e-mail

A newborn Commerson's dolphin calf died just minutes after being born last weekend at SeaWorld's Orlando Aquatica water park.

The calf's 16-year-old mother, named Ringer, made headlines earlier this month for getting pregnant while on birth control. Her baby died on Saturday night just after 9pm.

The Aquatica water park is home to the only four remaining Commerson's dolphins in the SeaWorld Company.

SeaWorld Orlando released a statement about the calf's death, saying it was 'saddened by the news'.

A Commerson's dolphin, named Ringer, gave birth to a calf at SeaWorld Orlando's Aquatica water park on Saturday, and it died minutes later

SeaWorld Orlando released a statement about the calf's death, saying it was 'saddened by the news'

'While unexpected, Ringer's pregnancy was important to our animal care and veterinary teams,' the statement said. 'Throughout her entire pregnancy, the teams put a great deal of planning and thought into preparing for the birth to help set Ringer and the calf up for success.'

Ringer was born at SeaWorld San Diego and moved to SeaWorld 2016 in January 2016.

She was moved to Aquatica, along with her father, Juan, to join two other Commerson's dolphins already there. The mammals live in a 228,000 gallon habitat that features a clear water-slide tube that runs through it.

In 1983, SeaWorld received 12 of the dolphins from the wild but failed to implement a plan to breed them long-term.

These dolphins generally only live 15 or 16 years but two have been said to reach their 30s.

Before Ringer moved to Orlando, she had four unsuccessful pregnancies.

Because of her unsuccessful pregnancies, Ringer had been on birth control contraceptives for several years.

The Aquatica water park is home to the only four remaining Commerson's dolphins in the SeaWorld Company

SeaWorld Orlando's statement continued: 'This pregnancy was unexpected and our SeaWorld animal care and veterinary teams monitored her health and well-being very closely throughout her entire pregnancy.

'For the past month, Ringer has been under 24 hour observation by her keepers and caretakers. She gave birth a little after 8 p.m.last night (May 20, 2017).

'We were all hoping for the best outcome for her and her calf, and had all the support we could provide in place.

'The team responded immediately when the calf began to show signs of distress, a few minutes after birth, but unfortunately were unable to resuscitate the calf.'

The park said that despite the loss of the calf, Ringer is still doing well.

'She successfully passed the placenta after giving birth and has begun to eat again,' the statement said. 'She is still under 24 hour observation by our care teams and is not on display at the park.

'We remain committed to her care and well-being. A necropsy will be performed on the calf to help determine the cause of death.'

The normal gestation period for a Commerson's dolphin is 12 months.

Ringer, who is 16 years old and has four unsuccessful pregnancies, made headlines earlier this month for getting pregnant while on birth control

When Ringer's pregnancy was announced earlier this month, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a statement condemning the captive birthing that the dolphin would have to endure.

'Dolphins in the wild don't need birth control. They can choose their partners, have families when they want to and teach their young to swim and play,' PETA said.

'Forcing another dolphin to endure a miserable life of swimming circles in a tiny tank is cruel, and it's why PETA is calling on families to stay away from SeaWorld until the park agrees to move all marine mammals to seaside sanctuaries.'

Commerson's dolphins are known for swimming upside down and have black and white markings similar to the orca whales that the amusement park has received a lot of attention over the last couple of years.

SeaWorld announced in March 2016 that it would no longer breed killer whales and that they would phase out orcas completely finally easing tensions many felt about the animals captivity.

The park has since placed its orcas and Commerson's dolphins on birth control.