Katenka

Katenka (pronounced kah-TEN-kah), or 卡廷卡, is an approximately 17-year-old female Russian transient killer whale who currently lives at Chimelong Spaceship. She was captured in July of 2015 from the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, at approximately 9 years old. Katenka is the matriarch of the Chimelong pod as well as the mother of Yilong, the first killer whale to be successfully born in China, Katniss, and an unnamed male.

Early Life & Capture[]

Katenka was born sometime around 2006 in the waters around Russia in the Northern Pacific. As a Russian transient whale, she likely grew up on a diet primarily consisting of marine mammals rather than fish. At around 9-years-old, in July of 2015, she was captured in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia alongside Sonya.

Shortly after capture, Katenka and Sonya were sent to the TINRO Center in Nakhodka, Russia, where they met Panghu. The three whales were likely later joined by Malvina, Panghu, Dora, Cookie or Sean.

In October, about three months after their capture, Katenka and Sonya were loaded onto a plane and shipped to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.

Life at Chimelong[]

Upon their arrival in the Chimelong Holding Facility, Katenka and Sonya met the park's two other females, Jade and Nukka, and the park's five males, Tyson, Kaixin, Nakhod, Bandhu, and Chad.

Due to her age and size, Katenka became the dominant female presumably very soon after meeting the others. She also developed a close bond with Tyson.

In 2016, all 9 of the whales were moved to the killer whale breeding base at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, where they were soon revealed to the public. While an announcement of her existence was made, Katenka herself, along with Nakhod and Chad, were not physically shown during the announcement.

Motherhood[]

Around fall 2017, Katenka fell pregnant with her first calf, a male sired by Tyson. Her pregnancy was closely monitored by Chimelong staff up until she gave birth on April 5th, 2019. She bonded well and accepted her calf, later named Yilong. He was the first calf to be successfully born and raised in captivity in China.

A Growing Family[]

In the summer following Yilong's first birthday, Katenka became pregnant with her second calf, this time a female, also sired by Tyson. She gave birth on January 27th, 2022 to Katniss, also known as Sanlong.

Public Debut[]

Sometime in June 2023, Katenka, alongside Tyson, Kaixin, Yilong, Katniss, Nakhod, Sonya, Chad, and Bandhu, as well as either Jade or Nukka, were moved to Chimelong Spaceship. During a live news broadcast^[1] at Chimelong, one of the head trainer's said that Katenka was not currently pregnant and showed what seemed to be a clear ultrasound.

In late November, Katenka, Tyson, Sonya, and Katniss were notably absent from shows and viewing areas. This created concern for their wellbeing. Sonya and Tyson were briefly seen in mid-December but they were focused on the gates. In a video^[2] uploaded on December 21st, Chimelong announced the birth of Katenka's third calf, a male born on December 1st, 2023. Katniss was present for his birth, and Sonya and Tyson were introduced to him soon after. As of the 21st, Katenka has yet to return to shows, likely still bonding with her young calf.

Galleries[]

• Photos of Katenka