Hoi Wai (pronounced Hoy-Woh), or 海围, also known as Peanuts or Susie Wong, was an approximately 20-year-old female Icelandic killer whale who lived at Ocean Park, Hong Kong. She was captured in October 1977 near Ingólfshöfði, Iceland at less than 1 year old. Hoi Wai passed away due to severe blood loss following intestinal volvulus on April 21st, 1997 at Ocean Park.
Capture & Early Life[]
In October 1977, Hoi Wai, Canuck II, Kandu V, Kona II, Magnus, and Winnie were captured off the coast of Iceland. Following their captures, they were moved to Dolfinarium Harderwijk, where they met their resident orca, Gudrun. At Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Hoi Wai was named Peanuts, and was purchased with Winnie (then called Frya) by Windsor Safari Park in England. However, due to a disagreement in ownership, she was moved to Clacton Pier.
Upon her arrival, she began basic training before her transfer to Ocean Park, Hong Kong. Here she was renamed once again, this time based off of the film The World of Suzie Wong. The movie has been critiqued for perpetuating the racist stereotype[1] of the meek, submissive, highly sexualized asian woman.[2] Ocean Park did not approve of the name and quickly changed it to "Hoi Wai" upon her arrival. The pier was damaged by a storm, and she was moved back to Windsor Safari Park once again.
Life at Ocean Park[]
On January 28th, 1979, Hoi Wai finally received her name after arriving at Ocean Park, Hong Kong. She was the very first orca to be kept in China, and performed as a solo killer whale for 10 years. In April 1989, Hoi Wai finally got a companion, Bubba, and they seemed to get along well. Bubba was purchased to attempt a breeding program, but sadly, the young male died in July of 1991, leaving Hoi Wai alone once again. Still, she was their star performer at Ocean Park up until her death, even starring in a movie.
Death[]
Around April 16th, 1997, Hoi Wai was found "leaning over" a gate in her habitat. This caused a rearrangement in her internal organs, and that combined with her existing gastrointestinal issues caused her to develop a twisted intestine. Due to the location of the twisted intestine, a clot became to form in a mesenteric artery. Shortly after she stopped eating, and around April 18th her artery ruptured. Although vets worked hard to treat her, on April 21st, 1997, Hoi Wai finally died due to the twisted intestine and severe blood loss.
Galleries[]
- Photos of Hoi Wai
- Videos of Hoi Wai
Transfer History[]
| FROM: | TO: | ON: |
|---|---|---|
| Ingolfshöfdi, Iceland | Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands | Oct. ??, 1977 |
| Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Netherlands | Windsor Safari Park, England | Dec. ??, 1977 |
| Windsor Safari Park, England | Clacton Pier, England | Aug. ??, 1978 |
| Clacton Pier, England | Windsor Safari Park, England | Jan. ??, 1979 |
| Windsor Safari Park, England | Ocean Park, Hong KOng | Jan. 28, 1979 |
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