Parenthood Below the Waves

As mammals, sea otters, dolphins and beluga whales are among the most involved parents of the aquatic animal world. From birth, mammals depend on their mother to provide care, but the level of dependency varies.

Sea otter pups typically stay with their mother for about six months until they develop survival skills. During this time, mothers will teach their pups how to groom their dense fur — one unique tool that helps pups stay afloat until they learn to dive! With up to 1 million hairs per square inch, the thick fur requires lots of upkeep.

Mothers also teach their young how to use tools to find food. Accessing hard-to-open prey like clams or crustaceans requires practice, and pups learn to use rocks to crack open their tasty treat.

At Shedd, we help non-releasable female sea otters develop those skills to potentially become surrogate mothers to orphaned otter pups as part of the Sea Otter Surrogacy Program, pioneered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Those pups might then be returned to the wild, bolstering an endangered population on the California coast.

Beluga whale calves and juveniles in the wild remain near their mothers and nurse from them for about two years. They say it takes a village to raise a child, what about a pod? Calves have also been known to nurse from other females in the pod besides their mother.

Similarly, Pacific white-sided dolphins also live in pods, and calves learn through imitation. Just like curious children, dolphins copy the grown-ups around them. Patient teachers, mothers and other pod members show calves how to hunt for food and socialize.

Shedd’s round-the-clock care for and observation of expectant marine mammal mothers and newborn calves gives us a window into how both dolphins and belugas come into the world, develop and grow, something that is incredibly difficult – if not impossible – to study in the wild.

While human parents carry young in our arms, some cichlids, a species of fish, carry their young in their mouth! Called mouthbrooding, this unique strategy protects fertilized eggs from predators and provides a safer environment than the tropical and subtropical waters they are found in.

While some fish species require extra care before birth, shark pups enter the world equipped for life. Regardless of if a shark lays eggs, gives birth to live young or birth live young after hatching eggs internally, their young are literally born ready to take on the world. Little to no parental care is needed; shark pups use their instincts and adaptations to fend for themselves almost immediately. Some sharks lay eggs or give birth in nursery areas, regions with warm, shallow water, places to hide from predators and ample food supply, giving vulnerable pups a better chance to thrive. Once the shark pups are ready to leave the nursery, they go on to live in other areas of the ocean. 

In spring 2025, Shedd Aquarium experienced a rare event — a male weedy seadragon received a successful egg transfer from a female.

Like male seahorses, the male seadragon is in charge of caring for the eggs. The male weedy sea dragon at Shedd carried the eggs under his tail. About 45 days later, more than a dozen fry hatched safely behind the scenes. This is one of the rarest events in aquariums worldwide, and the first time for Shedd after more than 20 years of dedication and care. Visit the majestic adult weedy seadragons in the Oceans gallery.

Typically, penguin pairs share responsibility to raise their young. Before the chick hatches, a Magellanic penguin pair takes turns incubating the egg while the other searches for food at sea.

While most penguins face threats from overfishing and habitat degradation, Magellanic penguins in central Patagonia are also facing challenges with their food source. Penguins have consistent nesting colonies and due to climate change, fish are traveling farther away from the nests. The longer distance travelled by parents and lack of abundance of food sources can impact chick survival rates.

Researchers at Shedd are analyzing penguin poop samples, called guano, to reveal their diets and ensure the prey are identified and protected.

Animal parenting is full of surprises. It tells stories of care, sacrifice and survival. Many animal parents take risks to protect their young; it’s up to us to continue their work and take actions to protect animals. Little steps lead to something great, learn how you can protect species by taking action for animals with Shedd.