A baby dolphin swims in a position next to its mother called the echelon position. The baby swims in this position to catch mom's slipstream, allowing the calf not to work as hard in order to keep up with its mother. When babies are born they have lighter colored bands spanning their mid section. These are called fetal bands and are derived from being scrunched up in the mother's womb. These bands will slough off after multiple weeks.
Newborn dolphins are very dark in color.
This coloration is also sloughed off after multiple weeks. When we assess the health of a newborn, we look for good body weight and good breathing. Another way we can get a good indication of the baby's health is from the mother's behavior. If she is relaxed and comfortable, it is a good sign. If a baby is not healthy, a mother will usually display frantic and erratic behavior.