The fans’ choice was clear, and the Indianapolis Zoo is excited to announce our male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf’s name is Maui!
Receiving about 52% of the vote in our recently concluded public poll, Maui is the name of a demigod from Polynesian mythology and a character who was made popular by the 2016 Disney Pixar film “Moana.”
Mom Kalei and her baby remain behind the scenes and there will be no media viewing at this time. However, you can find new B roll and images of the calf through our file share site.
Something unique to point out in the B roll, you’ll see a brief shot of Maui nursing beginning about 17 seconds in. As air-breathing mammals who live underwater, dolphins nurse while continuing to swim. So you’ll see Kalei rolls over and swims upside down to help make the nursing process easier for her calf.