When Dolphins Meet False Killer Whales
Wholphins — hybrids of bottlenose dolphins and false killer whales — have been born both in captivity and documented in the wild.
Despite their names, false killer whales are actually large dolphins, which is why they can successfully hybridize with bottlenose dolphins. The offspring are called wholphins.
The most famous wholphin, Kekaimalu, was born at Sea Life Park Hawaii in 1985. She was an accident — her mother, a bottlenose dolphin, had been living with a male false killer whale, and no one expected successful breeding.
Kekaimalu showed characteristics of both parents: - Size: Intermediate (larger than dolphin, smaller than false killer whale) - Color: Dark gray (darker than dolphin, lighter than false killer whale) - Teeth: 66 teeth (between dolphin's 88 and false killer whale's 44) - Behavior: Mix of both species' traits
Remarkably, Kekaimalu proved fertile and has had calves of her own — extremely unusual for hybrids.
Wild wholphins have been spotted near Hawaii and other locations where both species coexist. DNA testing has confirmed hybrid individuals in wild populations, suggesting this isn't just a captivity phenomenon.
How different are the parent species? False killer whales (*Pseudorca crassidens*) can reach 20 feet and 3,000 pounds. Bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) max out around 12 feet and 1,400 pounds. Yet they're genetically close enough to produce fertile offspring.
This challenges our assumptions about species boundaries and suggests dolphin speciation may be more fluid than previously thought.