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Sea Life Park Hawaii Invites You to Name New Baby Dolphin

MAKAPU'U, Hawaii, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Sea Life Park Hawaii, a favorite attraction for President Obama and his family when visiting his boyhood home on Oahu, has had a delivery from the stork in the shape of a baby dolphin and wants you to join the celebration!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/LA21796)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100615/LA21796)

The Park is inviting the public to participate in a contest to name the new baby, a healthy male Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, born February 27 and weighing in at approximately 45 pounds and measuring 40 inches in length. Starting June 26, the Park will be offering special guided visits for guests to see the new baby dolphin.

"Our newest member of the Sea Life Park family is a source of joy for his mother Laka and all of us who work here," said John Elkington, operations manager of Sea Life Park. "Like proud parents we want to share the good news with the world and thought it would be fun to enlist the public's help in naming him."

The contest is global and anyone can enter by submitting a name at www.sealifeparkhawaii.com/baby from June 15 to August 31, 2010.

A panel of judges will select the winning entry based upon the meaning and reasoning of the name. The results will be announced September 30, 2010.

The lucky winner will be awarded a grand prize of a three-night stay at the Sheraton Waikiki hotel with their guest, plus a one-of-a-kind in-water encounter with mother and baby, and attendance at a special winner's reception at the Park this fall. If the winner is from out of state, they will also receive two complimentary round trip air tickets to the island of Oahu.

According to Jeff Pawloski, the Park's curator, this is the fifth baby for Laka, a birth rate that is indicative of a happy and healthy dolphin.

"Laka is an experienced mom and the birth went very smoothly and each day the bond between mother and calf continues to strengthen," he said.

SOURCE Sea Life Park Hawaii