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Highlight: The history of captive orcas ends in Canada as Kiska, "the loneliest orca in the world", dies from a bacterial infection on the 9th of March. Photo by MarineLand Canada.
This page has captive killer whale news from the year 2023.
Dates are sorted from the beginning towards the end of the year.
January
1st - Corky II's 58th(!!) birthday was celebrated at SeaWorld San Diego.
2nd - Ulises' 45th birthday was celebrated at SeaWorld San Diego.
7th - Sakari turn 13 today!
In other related news, here are some things I(Katerina Studios) realized I did not add in the previous news page.
- Katina's birthday 47th birthday will be celebrated at SeaWorld Orlando on the 1st of June.
- The behind the scenes clip from "Frozen Planet II" in which featured Zina was confirmed to have been recorded in 2019. This would explain why Zina's tracking device(tag) was still attached to her dorsal fin. Source comes from someone who directly worked either in or with the filming of the video.
- Cody's name was confirmed to be his name between trainers from a first hand staff member who works with the orcas at Shanghai. Along with that, they confirmed that Dylan was actually the name of one of the killer whale trainers. The animal team is actually very well aware of this(people mistaking Pànghǔ's name), and it has become an inside joke between them!
- And the biggest news of them all, Chimelong might be opening this summer! Recent photos show development is very close to being finished. If the date is this summer, the orcas will probably be moved there by June or July, depending on the opening date(Shanghai's orcas were moved in the same month as opening, meaning not much time was given to adapt from their holding facility - the same will likely be true for Chimelong's orcas, which are still at Hengqin Island).
8th - Shocking and out of the blue news. Earlier today, Moskvarium announced that their oldest killer whale, 17 year old Narnia, has died from acute intestinal volvulus. No date of death was given but it was sometime likely, possibly last year.
Photo(from statement) by Moskvarium.
(translated from Russian) "The Moskvarium team mourns the loss immensely
Moskvarium regrets to announce that the head of a large family and the favorite of the whole team, the killer whale Narnia, has suddenly left us.
Narnia passed away at the age of 17, she was the oldest representative of the Moskvarium killer whale family.
Until the last day, there were no signs of illness or illness in the behavior and medical records of Narnia.
The cause of death was established after a study, the results of which were received a few days later - Narnia died of acute intestinal volvulus. Unfortunately, toothed whales, including killer whales, are very often affected by this pathology. This pathology is described both in wild killer whales and dolphins, and in animals living in artificial conditions.
The departure of Narnia is an irreparable loss for the entire Moskvarium team."
(Russian/Original) "Коллектив Москвариума безмерно скорбит об утрате
Москвариум с прискорбием сообщает, что нас скоропостижно покинула глава большой семьи и любимица всего коллектива – косатка Нарния.
Нарния ушла из жизни в возрасте 17 лет, она была самой старшей представительницей семьи косаток Москвариума.
До последнего дня в поведении и медицинских показателях Нарнии не было никаких признаков болезни или недомогания.
Причина смерти была установлена после исследования, результаты которого были получены спустя несколько дней – Нарния умерла от острого заворота кишечника. К сожалению, этой патологии очень часто подвержены зубатые киты, в том числе и косатки. Данная патология описана как у диких косаток и дельфинов, так и у животных, живущих в искусственных условиях.
Уход Нарнии – невосполнимая утрата для всего коллектива Москвариума."
https://www.moskvarium.ru/about/news/kollektiv-moskvariuma-bezmerno-skorbit-ob-utrate/
Eventual Edit: I(Katerina Studios) have done a little bit of digging from YouTube videos and she most certainly has lived in 2023. Ocean Echoes has also found posts from 2023 containing Narnia. At the moment, my best guess would be that she died between the 4th and 6th of January.
11th - Lovey is now 25!
February
2nd - Keet is now 30!
9th - Lara has turned 22!
11th - China Cetacean Alliance has announced the plan for Zhengzhou Haichang Ocean Park to house two orcas, one being Cody and the other being "another male", who will likely be Sean(he does not get along with the pod, as well as he does not mate with Dora or Cookie). It is not known when they will be moved, or when the park will open. On that note, Kamogawa Sea World will be moving two of their females to Suma Aqualife Park, presumably around September. It is not yet known which two whales will be transferred.
Zhengzhou Link (featuring a video of Cody)
13th - Makani is now 10!!
23rd - Inouk has turned 24!
25th - Shouka turned 30 and Ran II has turned 17!
March
10th - 47 year old Kiska has passed away. She died on the 9th of March, 2023 from a bacterial infection.
The original article was paywalled, however quite a few people have saved screenshots from the entire article in which I(Katerina Studios) was able to retype it all. However, it has been since updated, so it may appear different then the current version(and more information may be available).
"Kiska, the last captive orca in Canada and the focus of multiple animal activist protests at Marineland, has died.
The Niagara Falls theme park, which recently registered to lobby the government to discuss its potential sale, announced the death Friday.
'Marineland's marine mammal care team and experts did everything possible to support Kiska' comfort and will mourn her loss,' Marineland said in a statement.
In accordance with provincial regulations, a necropsy is being performed by marine mammal veterinarians assisted by a veterinarian from the Ontario Provincial Animal Welfare Services.
Kiska's health had declined in recent weeks 'despite intensive interventions by her caregivers, Marineland's veterinarian team, and international veterinarians with expertise supporting the health and well being of cetaceans,' the park said.
The provincial animal welfare agency, also known as PAWS, had provided independent marine mammal veterinary support to the orca's care team for several years and had participated in discussions related to her care decisions as late as the night before she died.
Kiska, who has been at Marineland since 1979, was approximately 47 years old.
The whale was often described as the 'loneliest orca in the world,' having lived alone in a pool complex since 2011.
Marineland said that designation was the result of former provincial government's regulations that prevented her from having another orca live with her.
While keeping whales and dolphins in captivity is now banned, Marineland had an exemption under a grandfather clause.
Marineland said the pool complex, called Friendship Cove, which Kiska had shared with other orcas over the decades, was the largest aquarium orca environment in the world.
Critics had long argued the complex was inadequate and that orcas are social animals that should not live alone.
An online petition on Change.org demanding that Kiska be relocated to a facility such as a whale sanctuary has to date received more than 584,000 signatures.
Marineland said the whale was not a candidate for relocation.
Meanwhile, the attraction's two walruses were relocated to a new facility in Abu Dhabi in late February.
The move was part of a settlement the park had reached in Sept. 2022 following a nearly decade-long court battle against former employee turned activist Phil Demers.
The park had sued Demers for $1.5 million for trespassing and plotting to steal its walrus Smooshi.
The civil matter was resolved in September. Among the terms of the settlement was that Smooshi and her two-year-old offspring Koyuk were to be 'rehoused.'"
Update: It has apparently been confirmed that she died on the 9th and not the 8th.
12th - Malia turns 16 today!
16th - Moana is now 12!
April
3rd - I(Katerina Studios) am quite late to this, but if you haven't already heard(though it was quite frankly everywhere), The Dolphin Company/the Miami Seaquarium has officially concluded to a plan to release Tokitae into a 1-2 acre sea pen, and then gradually increase it to 40-50 acres. The conference was held Thursday(30th of March) in Miami, and one of the notable speakers was Jim Irsway, who you may know as the current owner/holder of an American football team, the Indianapolis Colts. However, he confused the plans up and lead several people on a trail that Tokitae might actually be fully released. This was later debunked by first hand people at the conference. Friends of Lolita(FOL), another organization who spoke at the event, is also helping in the move of Tokitae from Miami. While there is no concrete plan yet(and NOAA + USDA have to approve the transfer), it is expected to take 18-24 months before Tokitae is transferred. In the mean time, she still currently resides in "The Whale Bowl" with a 40 year old male Pacific White-Sided dolphin named Li'i.
June
1st - Happy 22nd birthday, Wikie! Katina's 47th birthday is also being celebrated as well.
4th - There have been lots of rumors lately about Marineland Antibes' orcas being sent to Suma Aqualife Park, though nothing has been officially confirmed. The rumor was originally posted on the 21st of May, though there has been no lead outside the post(reposts included), meaning it cannot be confirmed or denied. Marineland currently has 4 orcas, consisting of 1 female(Wikie) and 3 males(Inouk, Moana, and Keijo). All orcas are related as Moana and Keijo are the sons of Wikie, and Inouk is Wikie's full brother.
17th - Happy 27th birthday, Keto!
22nd - Tuar has turned 24!
23rd - Another loss coming from Moskvarium. Following the deaths of Narnia(orca), Yuki, and Martha(bottlenoses), Moskvarium announced the passing of Nord earlier today. The cause of death was an acute peptic ulcer, and while the date of death is unclear, de.cetacea on Instagram has said for it to be today, the 23rd of June. Moskvarium also says that Nord was 16 when he died, meaning Nord was likely born in 2007. Naja is the only remaining orca in the park, and has not been paired with other cetaceans(which likely will not happen).
Photo(from statement) by Moskvarium.
(translated from Russian) "Moskvarium mourns the loss of the killer whale Nord
At the age of 16, the male killer whale Nord left us. Until the last day, Nord's behavior and medical indications showed no signs of illness. What happened is a huge loss for everyone. The cause of death was acute peptic ulcer of the third part of the stomach. Unfortunately, the development of some diseases cannot be prevented in advance.
Despite the high level of competence of the center's experts, extensive experience in working with marine mammals, the constant development and implementation of new elements to enrich the habitat of animals, significant annual investments in veterinary equipment and the modernization of all systems of the complex, it is extremely difficult to approximate the artificial conditions for keeping large marine mammals to natural.
Nord's departure once again confirms the Moskvarium's position on the need for a complete ban on catching marine mammals for educational and cultural purposes, which the center's specialists expressed by taking part in the development of draft law N40333-8 'On Amendments to the Federal Law' On Fishing and Conservation aquatic biological resources'."
(Russian/Original) "«Москвариум» скорбит об утрате косатки Норда
На 16-м году жизни нас покинул самец косатки Норд. До последнего дня в поведении и медицинских показаниях Норда не было никаких признаков болезни. Случившееся – колоссальная утрата для всех. Причиной смерти стала острая язвенная болезнь третьего отдела желудка. К сожалению, развитие некоторых заболеваний невозможно предупредить заранее.
Несмотря на высокий уровень компетенции экспертов центра, наличие большого опыта в работе с морскими млекопитающими, постоянную разработку и внедрение новых элементов по обогащению среды обитания животных, ежегодные значительные инвестиции в ветеринарное оснащение и модернизацию всех систем комплекса, крайне сложно приблизить искусственные условия содержания крупных морских млекопитающих к естественным.
Уход Норда еще раз подтверждает позицию «Москвариума» о необходимости полного запрета на вылов морских млекопитающих в учебных и культурно-просветительских целях, которую специалисты центра выразили, приняв участие в разработке законопроекта N40333-8 "О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон «О рыболовстве и сохранении водных биологических ресурсов»."
https://www.moskvarium.ru/about/news/moskvarium-skorbit-ob-utrate-kosatki-norda/
July
1st - Instagram user China Cetacean Alliance on Weibo has announced that Cookie, Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park's 10 year old female killer whale, is pregnant and due between July and August of this year. They also announced that the stadium where the orcas live is temporarily closed to the public, likely preparing for the birth. Dora is also believed to be pregnant, however there hasn't been any confirmation.
https://weibo.cn/status/4918398427603129
8th - More news coming from Chimelong as the opening likely approaches. According to China Cetacean Alliance, another killer whale has been born, this time between February of 2022 and earlier this year. All of the whales have also moved into the main facility sometime recently, meaning that Hengqin Island no longer houses killer whales. An opening date has not yet but revealed, but it is likely sometime after the 15th of July(this month).
"We understand that they are already there - the area is simply not open to the public yet." (China Cetacean Alliance on Twitter)
https://twitter.com/ChinaCetaceanAl/status/1677727481258733569
9th - Happy 32nd birthday, Takara!
13th - China Cetacean Alliance reports that Cookie gave birth to her calf in early July, though the calf died shortly after birth. No other details are known, but shows at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park have since resumed.
https://weibo.cn/detail/4923017739639913
19th - Happy 11th birthday, Luna II!!
An update on previous news as well, the "Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Spaceship"(where the orcas will be displayed) will likely open for trial runs on the 28th of this month.
August
9th - New photos of orcas at Wuxi Changqiao Ocean Kingdom and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom have been released! These are the first public photos to be revealed showing the two male orcas at Wuxi(which look like females) and showcasing the new Chimelong facility with orcas getting ready for opening day. No date has been set for when these whales will be shown to the public, nor when more basic information might become available. On the other hand, Wuxi has canceled their orca exhibits(newer plans do not mention killer whales at all following the original facility's cancelation due to lack of funding). It is not known where these whales may move to or live in the future.
Thank you to China Cetacean Alliance, @kysalis.cetanews, gamer and @shanghai.kwpod for posting/providing these photos!
Wuxi orca link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZvRJiqI0GRmATOavzBG3fA
18th - Update: Center Orcinus confirmed that Narnia died on the 3rd of January(no word on Nord yet). Pànghǔ has been confirmed to be the largest captive killer whale at the moment, weighing in at around 6 tons(12,000 lbs)!
Follow the last worldwide news update an hour ago, Miami Seaquarium has announced the death of Tokitae, their 57 year old female killer whale, who was known for living in the park's "Whale Bowl". She was the last killer whale to live at the facility and, more recently, there were plans to return her in an enclosed pen, located in the Salish Sea.
https://facebook.com/photo.php/?photo_id=689436976558935
25th - Happy 21st birthday, Ikaika!
In other news, Cody has been paired with Cookie! This is the first time he has been paired with any orca since his birth in September of 2021. It is likely that he was placed with his mother as Cookie recently lost her second calf in early July.
Screenshots belong to Josh Ward on Instagram.
September
7th - Great news! The names of the 3 Chimelong Ocean Kingdom calves have ben revealed by China Orca News! The oldest is Yilong(EE-long 一隆), whose name is a combination of 1(一) and long from Chimelong. The second is Loki(洛基), who (unfortunately) was the first killer whale to be hand raised in China(meaning they were born before Cody in September). The third calf is Katniss(凯特尼斯), who was the "first second child born killer whale" in China, meaning that they(likely she) was born before July 2023(though this was already known). Also included were some new photos of the whales, including the calves. In a separate post by China Cetacean Alliance, it was revealed that one of the calves was born through artificial insemination. It is not known which calf that was, however.
Photos via themeparx.
9th - On the 16th of September, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom will start public trial operations! Hopefully we will get more information and photos around that date.
Photo provided by China Orca News.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/waPzQTz1OnHFSdkgMcKp7w
10th - Happy 2nd birthday to Cody! Loki has also turned 2 at Chimelong as he was born sometime before Cody.
In other news, Sean's English spelling has been confirmed to be spelled "Shawn," unlike previously thought, making him officially dubbed "Shawn II," or Shawn the second. The facility that Chimelong's killer whales live is called the Chimelong Spaceship, as Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is an entirely separate facility(owned by the same company).
Based on recent photos as well, Dora is believed to be pregnant. This would likely be her second, as she looked very similar in May of 2020. It is not known when the calf is due, though likely sometime before the end of this year. It is very likely that the sire is Pànghǔ.
18th - Happy birthday Nalani!
23rd - Orkid has turned 35, the oldest age of any captive born killer whale in captivity!
October
9th - Happy 13th birthday, Makaio!
13th - Happy 13th birthday, Adán, and happy 15th birthday, Earth!
17th - New pregnancy news! Moskvarium just announced that their 13 year old killer whale, Naya(official spelling), also known as Naja/Juliet, is pregnant with her first calf, and is due in December. The facility has set up a website to update you with her pregnancy, you can see is as the first link down below.
Pregnancy update site: https://naya.moskvarium.ru
Announcement: https://moskvarium.ru/about/news/podderzhanie-privychnogo-uklada-zhizni-kosatki-nai-obespechivaet-stabilnost-ee-sostoyaniya/
18th - Unfortunate news from Marineland Antibes. The facility announced today about the passing of 12 year old Moana, who died last night or earlier this morning. Rumors have originated that he was found dead in his tank earlier this morning, which corresponds with the unknown date of death. Moana had been sick for a few months with "subdermal lesions," along with Inouk suffering from dental issues. A necropsy will be preformed.
Moana's death comes months after rumors originated that Marineland's 4 killer whales(the three remaining being Wikie, Inouk, and Keijo) would be moving to Japan, presumably Suma Aqualife Park. France's law that banned all cetacean shows until 2026, as well as Marineland being bankrupt, have contributed to the presumable move. Since September, the orcas at the park have only been shown on the weekends. It is thought that the remaining whales will be moved in January.
https://facebook.com/story.php/?id=100064973190535&story_fbid=709870444522056
November
8th - Happy 23rd birthday, Tekoa!
13th - Happy 13th birthday, Lynn!
20th - Happy 20th birthday, Keijo!
All of the names(or spellings for already known names) for Chimelong Spaceship's adult whales are now known! Jade, Nukka, Katenka, and Sonya are the females. Nakhod, Tyson, Kaixin, Chad, and Bandhu are the males.
23rd - Happy 18th birthday, Trua!