Stella (pronounced STEL-ha) is an approximately 36-year-old female killer whale who lives at Kobe Suma Sea World in Japan. She is the oldest captive killer whale in Japan. She is the mother of Lovey, Lara, Sarah, Ran II, and Lynn, as well as the grandmother of Earth and Luna. She currently lives with her fourth daughter at Kobe Suma.

Capture & Early Life[]

Stella was captured near Seyðisfjörður, Iceland on either October 23rd or 24th in 1987, at less than a year old. She was captured with three other killer whales; Oscar, Maggie, and Bubba.^[1] All three whales were later moved into an old herring tub on land in Seyðisfjörður, and eventually transported via truck to the Hafnarfjörður Aquarium in late October that same year. All four whales remained at the aquarium until March 29th the following year, where they were transported to Kamogawa Sea World in Japan.

Life at Kamogawa Sea World & Motherhood[]

Upon arrival at Kamogawa Sea World, Stella met another Icelandic killer whale who had been captured four years prior, in 1984. His name was Bingo, and he would eventually go on to sire all of Stella's calves. Stella took on the role of matriarch within the pod and gave birth to her first calf on January 11th, 1998. Her calf, a female, was given the name Lovey. The birth of Lovey marked the first ever successful birth of a killer whale under human care in Japan.

Just a few years later, Stella became pregnant again and gave birth to her second daughter, Lara, on February 8th, 2001. Shortly after giving birth to Lara, Stella fell pregnant again and gave birth to her third daughter on May 31st, 2003, who was given the name Sarah. A month prior to her 3rd birthday, on April 26th, 2006, Sarah passed away unexpectedly. Her cause of death remains unknown. On February 25th, 2006, Stella gave birth once more to a female who was given the name Ran II. Throughout motherhood, Stella has been a very attentive mother towards her calves. At Kamogawa Sea World, Stella participated in waterworks. Stella officially became a grandmother in 2008 when her daughter, Lovey, gave birth to her very first calf on October 13th. Her calf was a male and was given the name Earth.

In 2010, Kamogawa Sea World announced that they would be sending Stella and Bingo to Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium as a part of a breeding loan where another female killer whale, Nami, was already living at that time. Eventually, Stella's daughter, Ran II, joined list of whales intended for Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium. Nami passed away on January 14th, 2011, eleven months before Stella and Oscar would arrive.

On December 14th, 2011, Stella, Bingo, and Ran II prepared for their move to Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium. Ran II was transported alone via truck, and arrived in Port of Nagoya that same day. Stella and Bingo, however, were larger and had to be transported via ship. Their journey took two days and the two eventually arrived in Port of Nagoya on December 16th.

Life at Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium[]

Upon arrival to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, all three whales were initially kept in a smaller holding pool within the main pool complex. They were gradually introduced to the other pools until they were eventually comfortable enough to explore the whole complex. Stella continued her role as matriarch at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium and the three whales would no longer participate in waterworks.

Stella became a grandmother for the second time in 2012, when Lovey gave birth to her second offspring. This time, a female who was named Luna. Luna was the first grand-offspring of Stella's who she did not get to witness the birth of, as she had moved to Port of Nagoya seven months prior. At that time, Stella had become pregnant for the fifth time. On November 13th, 2012, Stella gave birth to her fifth and youngest daughter, Lynn. Stella has not had any more calves since.

On August 14th, 2014, Bingo passed away from pneumonia. On December 7th, 2015, Ran was moved back to Kamogawa Sea World, switching places with Earth who arrived in Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium that same day.

Moving to Kobe Suma[]

On March 29th, 2024, a killer whale (likely Stella) was moved out of the Port of Nagoya Aquarium. The destination is currently unknown but it is believed to be Kobe Suma Sea World. She was reported to be very vocal after her transfer.

Personality[]

Stella is described as a very gentle and affectionate killer whale. She has no history of aggression towards her trainers.

Appearance[]

Stella's most apparent feature is the distinct brown stain on her lower jaw line. Her dorsal fin leans over toward her left side. She measures about 17ft (5.1 meters) in length, making her average sized for her ecotype.

Trivia[]

• The name "Stella" is of Latin origin and means "celestial star."
• Stella is one of only few killer whales captured in Iceland who kept the names they were originally given by their Icelandic trainers.
• Stella, along with Katina and Ulises, are the only wild-caught Icelandic killer whales who are still alive today.

Transfer History[]

Galleries[]

• Photos of Stella
• Videos of Stella

References[]