Notable Deaths of Captive Killer Whales

Statistics

Captured: August 16th, 1975

Sex: Male

Breed: 100% Bigg's Transient

Calves: Katerina and Taima

Died: September 20th, 1990

Age at death: between 19 and 25

Location of death: SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando Florida, USA

Cause of death: St. Louis Encephalitis 

This quote comes from former Trainer Dean Gomersall's testimony in an interview that did not make it into the final cut of the 2013 film Blackfish (dir. G. Coptherwaite). In this interview, Gomersall describes the death of Kanduke, a captive killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando. Kanduke was the last killer whale captured in Washington State, and was a Bigg's Transient killer whale. Kanduke died of encephalitis, a disease which causes swelling of the brain, and is transmitted by mosquitoes. 

"I don’t know the physiology behind it, but all of a sudden, you saw that red in his eye, and... he went ballistic. Gallons and gallons of blood shot out of his mouth as he just torqued back and forth inside this harness that he was in, and he ended up just dying right there, just a violent, violent death... Years later, it was found out that he died from encephalitis, which is a mosquito-borne disease that was going through Florida at the time. It wouldn’t have happened to a killer whale in his natural environment, he wouldn’t be surface-resting in a tropical environment where there [were] mosquitoes. He died because he was at SeaWorld of Florida, surface resting, getting bitten by mosquitoes. Just, to see that happen; it was horrific, it was absolutely horrible. It was hard to see, it was hard to see. It was definitely one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life, for sure.”

Statistics

Captured: October 26th, 1976

Sex: Female

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Calves: Taima and Nyar

Died: February 25th, 1996

Age at death: 20

Location of death: SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando Florida, USA

Cause of death: uterine prolapse and blood loss

In an article he was interviewed for for Outside Magazine, former trainer Jim Horton describes the death of Gudrun, a female captive killer whale, originally captured in Iceland.  Gudrun had two calves, Taima and Nyar, before dying from labor complications with her third calf. Horton describes the removal of the stillborn calf from the whale's birth canal, and her subsequent death. 

"Gudrun was brought into the med pool. She was put into a stretcher and suspended from the crane over a lot of foam, so we could get to the calf. We put some chains or ropes around the calf’s tail to a come-along attached to a vehicle to winch it out.

We got Gudrun back in the water, and I think her uterus came out."

Gudrun died three days later from sepsis, bleeding, and uterine prolapse. Her daughter, Taima, would pass away under very similar circumstances in 2010. 

Gudrun's death has haunted me since I first read about it. I can't fathom the pain she must have been in, the stress this must have caused her, how afraid she might have felt. Additionally, it struck me with its preventability. Three years before her death, Gudrun had given birth to a sickly and weak calf called Nyar, whom Gudrun attempted to kill multiple times. Nyar also has a profile on this page, below. It really makes me angry that such an obviously incorrect, amoral decision was made to continue to breed Gudrun after what happened with Nyar. This was willful, and I would argue even malicious. Gudrun's owners valued her capacity for reproduction more than they valued her life or her mental wellbeing, and Gudrun suffered the consequences of that disgusting excuse for animal care. Gudrun died before many members of SeaWorld's current collection were even born. She represented an opportunity to stop and think- wait, is this right, what we're doing? If we keep breeding killer whales, could more animals end up like her? Is that what we want? SeaWorld's answers to all of these questions was a resounding yes. SeaWorld did not learn their lesson with Gudrun, and many animals suffered as a result. 

I wish that Gudrun's life and death could have had a greater purpose. That somehow, her suffering could have prevented the future suffering of others. It did not.

Statistics

Captured: October 12th, 1977

Sex: Female

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Calves: Orkid

Died: August 21st, 1989

Age at death: 14

Location of death: SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego California, USA

Cause of death: ruptured maxillary bilateral artery and subsequent blood loss

Kandu V was a female whale who lived at SeaWorld San Diego. At the time of her death she had an 11 month old calf, Orkid. Kandu was known for her frustrated demeanor and sometimes violent behaviors. 

In 1988, Kandu V rammed Corky II in attempt to display her dominance over the other whale. In the process, Kandu hit her head on the tank wall, breaking her jaw, which severed an artery in her head and made her bleed out through her blowhole and mouth over the course of about forty five minutes, while her 11 month old daughter, Orkid, swam beside her. 

No similar event has ever taken place before or after. There was nothing that could be done for Kandu, and employees watched, helpless to the situation as she bled out. When she exhaled, gallons of blood spattered the whole pool, surrounding deck and bridges, creating a dramatic scene. 

Kandu was Icelandic, whereas Corky II is a northern resident. Being from totally different regions, these two whales never would have met in the wild, and they probably had no means to communicate with each other, other than violence. This is an example of how whale on whale aggression can turn deadly. It is also one of the most gruesome killer whale deaths that I have ever researched. 

Statistics

Captured: October 26th, 1978

Sex: Male

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Calves: Takara, Keet, and Keto

Died: April 1st, 1995

Age at death: 17

Location of death: SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio Texas, USA

Cause of death: fractured skull and subsequent brain injury

Kotar passed away in 1995, at the age of 17. The whale had figured out how to open unlatched gates in the pool area at SeaWorld San Antonio. He was playing with a vertically shutting gate when he opened it and put his head through. The metal gate closed on his head and fractured his skull, and he died from the ensuing traumatic brain injuries.

Statistics

Captive born: December 31st, 1993

Sex: Female

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Died: April 1st, 1996

Age at death: 3

Location of death: SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando Florida, USA

Cause of death: congenital developmental illnesses and encephalitis 

Nyar was born in 1993 to Gudrun. Nyar had major developmental brain issues, and Gudrun tried to drown her on several occasions before the two were separated. Without her mother, Nyar had to be cared for by staff. Nyar did not have a gag or swallowing reflex, and trainers described shoving solid food down the whale's throat, as well as giving her liquid food with a tube in order to nourish her. 

Cynthia Payne describes Nyar's physical condition. "When she [Gudrun] gave birth to Nyar, she tried to drown her. After that, we had to hand-feed Nyar and do constant physicals. I would help with physicals, and you’d flip her [to draw blood] and her fluke [tail] looked like a heroin addict’s arm." Jim Horton, an animal care veterinarian who cared for Nyar after Gudrun rejected her, fed her frequently. "So, with some of the fish, if she wasn’t eating it, or wasn’t trying, you would literally shove it down her throat... But, at the same time, she’s thrashing her head from side to side and chomping her mouth, chomping on your hand, chomping on your arm."

Nyar died of her various congenital conditions when she was three years old, not long after her mother had passed, in 1996. 

Statistics

Captured: October 26th, 1978

Sex: Female

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Calves: Takara, Nakai (d), Kalia, and Makani

Died: August 15th, 2017

Age at death: 40

Location of death: SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego California, USA

Cause of death: euthanization due to chronic respiratory illness

Kasatka was one of the most successful breeding females in SeaWorld's history. Kasatka also had a complicated history of aggression. She was known to be difficult and violent at times, most notably in a 2006 incident involving Kenneth Peters. 

Kassy was very protective over her children, and separation from them never went well. Kasatka became extremely agitated after her fourteen year old daughter Takara and two year old granddaughter Kohana were separated from her in 2004. Takara and Kohana were taken to another park, and after the removal of the two whales, Kasatka issued long range vocalizations in attempt to find her family members. They were never reunited, and Kasakta died without ever having seen either of them again.

Kasatka suffered from chronic respiratory illness in the later years of her life, which SeaWorld attempted to remedy with inhaled medication before ultimately making the choice to euthanize her in 2017. Kasakta was brought into the medical pool in SeaWorld San Diego and the floor was raised, beaching her, before she was given a lethal injection. She left behind three children in San Diego, and Takara in San Antonio.

Statistics

Captive born: November 26th, 1988

Sex: Female

Breed: 50% Icelandic, 50% Northern Resident

Calves: Halyn (d), 2007 miscarriage

Died: January 28th, 2019

Age at death: 30

Location of death: SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando Florida, USA

Cause of death: lung disease

Kayla had a difficult time during her life in captivity. She was born at SeaWorld San Antonio in 1988, and gave birth to her first calf, Halyn, by Keet in 2005. Kayla responded with nothing less than panic soon after Halyn's birth, and began to attack the newborn calf. Halyn was ultimately raised by staff and by her father Keet, and died at ten years of age in 2015. 

In 2006, when she was six months pregnant, Kalya was transported from San Antonio to Orlando. It was thought that, with the help of Katina and Kalina, two mothers living in Orlando, this next calf would fare better. However, the transport was extremely stressful for Kayla. In an interview with Outside Magazine, former trainer Krissy Dodge, who was new to the park at the time, described preparing Kayla for transport. 

"Animal care and the training staff got Kayla into the med pool and raised the bottom of the pool so there was no water. I was going to be one of the ones to help with my hands on her. But Kayla started to freak out, and she was making really loud and angry vocalizations. Her eyes got really big. She was thrashing her tail. She was really upset." 

In her diary, Dodge wrote the following. 

"Nov. 17, 2006: killer whale transport. Not fun. I got to work at 7am, worked a whole shift, stayed to finish up transport prep, then an evening meeting to discuss transport, which was to begin at 11pm. At 11pm we were up at Shamu [Stadium]. I was assigned to be in a wet suit to assist in getting her into the stretcher. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this. I was nervous. The whale was in the med pool, false bottom raised to beach her. She began to stress out. The trainers couldn’t get her to do what they wanted. She started thrashing and making loud vocals. I was literally terrified. I was then told not to get in. More experienced people only. I was relieved. I was close enough to see her eyes, she was so upset and sounded like she was screaming. Animal Care staff had to leave the water several times because of the danger of being attacked. Finally they were able to get her into the stretcher and she was lifted into the box. She sat quietly for a few minutes and I was assigned to sit up on top of the box by her head and record respirations. I was within 2 feet of her head and I could see the defeated look in her eye. I felt awful. Then somehow a piece of foam that was supporting her dorsal floated towards her head. She panicked and began thrashing. She began thrusting her tail up and down and smashing the baffle above her tail. The box was shaking and water was going everywhere. I lost my balance, dropped my clipboard and moved my leg just as her giant head reared up, mouth open, towards me. I had moved just in time. I was really scared. When she calmed down I got off the box and was angry [about] what I was just a part of."

Not long after she arrived in Florida, Kayla miscarried the calf she had been carrying. SeaWorld insisted that the transport had nothing to do with the miscarriage, but I believe otherwise. This level of stress could have easily caused Kayla's pregnancy to fail. Even still, more problems waited for Kayla in Florida. Her behavior worsened. She had an ongoing, difficult relationship with Kalina, and the two attacked each other more than once. Kayla once broke her jaw after Kalina fluked her in the head. Kayla was involved in eight instances of major aggression during her lifetime in captivity. In Orlando, it was common for her to disrupt shows by raking Trua or by generally acting out. 

Additionally, Kayla brought taught behaviors to the Orlando park that hadn't been practiced by the whales there before her arrival. Kayla and the other San Antonio whales were known to regurgitate their food. Kayla taught this to the Orlando whales, and Trua still does it today. 

After Kalina died in 2010, Kayla became the shaky matriarch of the Orlando park. 

Kayla died suddenly in January of 2019. She began to show signs of illness on January 27th, and died the following day in spite of medical intervention. She probably had pneumonia. 

Kayla had a tragic life. She never seemed comfortable. She never seemed to find any sort of relaxation or lack of tension. She didn't belong in captivity, nor does any orca, but her behavior showed it. Kayla experienced unimaginable pain and stress, and this was only relieved by her death. This did not have to happen. Any responsible vet or biologist would not recommend breeding Kayla after her experience with Halyn. They should never have taken Kayla to Orlando. 

I don't know which event in her life sealed her fate. I don't know whether Kayla was born frustrated or whether she became that way over time. But I do know that this did not have to happen. Kayla's caretakers did not act in her best interest, and she paid the price.

Statistics

Captive born: April 19th, 2017

Sex: Female

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Died: July 24th, 2017

Age at death: 3 months

Location of death: SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio Texas, USA

Cause of death: Bacterical infection

Kyara was the last orca to be born in a SeaWorld park. Her mother was Takara and her father was Kyuquot, and her two older sisters (who lived with her) were Sakari and Kamea. Kyara represented hope, and a new era in cetacean captivity for a lot of people affiliated with SeaWorld. She spent a lot of time with her mom and her sisters, though she actually did meet Kyuquot and Tuar as well. Takara, by 2017, had proven herself to be an accomplished and caring mother to her previous four calves, and Kyara was no exception. Takara was an excellent mother to this calf in every sense.

When she was around two months old, Kyara began exhibiting symptoms of pneumonia, and SeaWorld animal care was treating her around the clock. Kyara passed away on July 24th, 2017.

When she was around 2-2.5 months old, Kyara became ill, with what was likely pneumonia. She was taken to the med pool, separated from both of her parents and both of her sisters. They would never be reunited. Kyara was really, really young when this happened, still an infant. In pictures, she's tiny, and still orange. She was way too young to be separated from mom. I'm sure Takara was very stressed, being separated from her newborn.

Kyara leaves a hole in my heart. What happened to her was not unusual, or even surprising, by any measure. Infant mortality rates among captive born orcas are high, and pneumonias are the most common cause of death for captive killer whales. Her fate reminds me that death lurks around every corner for these animals. 

Statistics

Captive born: February 9th, 2004

Mother: Kalina (d)

Father: Tilikum (d)

Sex: Female

Died: March 11th, 2021

Age at death: 17

Weight at death: 4,500 lbs, 2,041 kilos

Length at death: 18 ft, 5.4 m

Breed: 75% Icelandic, 25% Southern Resident

Full Siblings: Tuar

Maternal Siblings: Keto and Keet

Paternal Siblings: Nyar (d), Unna (d), Kohana (d), Malia, Sakari, Kyuquot, Taku (d), Sumar (d), Tekoa, Nakai (d), Ikaika, and Makaio

Cause of death: Intestinal torsion and acute septicemia

About Skyla

Skyla was her mother's only female calf. The two were separated when Skyla was two years old, and the event was very distressing for her mother, Kalina. Eyewitnesses say that Kalina seriously injured her rostrum after ramming her head into the gate between her and her daughter. Two years old and motherless in a completely foreign environment, Skyla had a difficult time adapting to Loro Parque submitting herself to Kohana as the matriarch, but the two still spent a lot of time together. The two adult males in the park, Keto and Tekoa, were Skyla's brothers, and so her breeding was always unlikely. Loro Parque has since stopped their breeding program.

Skyla had moderate-severe dental damage for an orca of her age. Her back teeth were intact but her front ones were drilled out, as is common for captive orcas. Skyla was also photographed with red, bloodshot eyes at least once during her fifteen-year stint in Spain. She was identifiable by the notches in her dorsal fin. 

Skyla died on the evening of March 11th, 2021, at Loro Parque. Her trainers say she was not ill leading up to her death, and that she seemed uncomfortable during that day and expired by night. Her cause of death as revealed by her on-site necropsy done by Loro Parque was intestinal torsion and acute septicemia, which is blood poisoning. Her septicemia was probably caused by her intestinal issues. Unfortunately, it's difficult to spot and impossible to treat intestinal disease in cetacea, and it's causes are not yet known. My heart breaks for Skyla and for the whales who will be affected by her loss. 

She is with Kalina again. I hope that her pain is over now.

Aggressive Incidents & other injuries

Shortly after her move to Loro Parque, during a performance, Skyla pushed a trainer around the pool and against the walls, cause for her to be placed on special watch. 

Statistics

Captive born: September 22nd, 2018

Mother: Morgan

Father: Keto

Died: August 9th, 2021

Sex: Female

Age at death: 2

Weight at death: 1,100 lbs, 498 kilos

Length at death: 7 ft, 2.1 m

Breed: 50% Norwegian, 37.5% Icelandic, 12.5% Southern Resident

Paternal Siblings: Adan and Victoria (d)

Cause of Death: Intestinal Torsion

About Ula

Ula was the youngest known orca in captivity at the time of her death, having been born a year after SeaWorld, who owned the whale and her mother at the time, said that their breeding program had been discontinued. Ula had had some concerning health issues throughout her life, appearing to have spotty, irregular skin, and a rather flat melon, rather than the standard round one. She also had gastric issues in the months leading up to her death. Morgan had strong maternal instincts and was always very attached to her daughter. On April 25th, 2021, Ula fell ill and was under veterinary care round the clock. Animal Care suspected some sort of intestinal disease, which killed Ula's tankmate, Skyla, just over a month before. On May 2nd, 2021, Loro Parque announced that Ula's condition was improving and that she would be healthy enough to re-enter the main facility soon. On June 7th, 2021, Ula was reunited with the rest of the whales at the park, including her mother, Morgan, and regained most of the weight she lost while she was ill. 

She died after falling ill again on August 9th, 2021. Her cause of death was announced in November 2021 by an independent organization as intestinal torsion, the same disease that killed Skyla. 

Aggressive Incidents & other injuries

Ula, probably because she was so young, was never involved in any documented concerning behavior towards trainers. 

Statistics

Captive born: December 2nd, 2014

Mother: Kalia

Father: Ulises

Died: August 19th, 2021

Sex: Female

Age at death: 6

Weight at death: 1,550 lbs, 703 kilos

Length at death: 11 ft, 3.3 m

Breed: 93.75% Icelandic, 6.25% Southern Resident

Paternal Siblings: Moana

Cause of Death: Gastric Disease

About Amaya

Amaya was the youngest killer whale in SeaWorld's collection at the time of her death. She was Kalia's first and only calf, and spent much of her time with Kalia and Makani, as well as Kasatka before she died in 2017. Amaya was playful, curious, and energetic, and often played with park guests through the glass of her tank. In the past, Amaya was photographed with rakes, sunburns, and skin infections. On August 18th, 2021, she began to show signs of illness, and in spite of veterinary intervention, she died on August 19th, 2021, in the afternoon. Orca shows were cancelled for the day.

Amaya was beloved by staff, park visitors, and most of all by Kalia. It's unknown how she will react to this devastating loss. Amaya was closest with Kalia and with Makani. 

Even before her death, Amaya was frequently photographed with rakes and cuts. She also chewed concrete, although her teeth perhaps didn't have time to fail. 

Amaya's autopsy was released in October of 2021, and stated that she died of gastric disease. This is a vague cause, but proves that she was not killed by aggression. Gastric disease has become more prevalent in captive cetacea in the past decade or so. I hope that, internally, SeaWorld is insuring that their other whales are not at risk for these types of issues, although no further statements have been given. 

Aggressive Incidents & other injuries

Amaya has never been involved in any documented instances of violence toward trainers.

Statistics

Captive born: September 1st, 2001

Date of Death: August 4th, 2022

Cause of Death: Infection/Lung disease

Mother: Kasatka (d)

Father: Tilikum (d)

Sex: Male

Age at Death: 21

Weight: 7,000 lbs, 3,175 kilos

Length: 18 ft, 5.4 m

Breed: 100% Icelandic

Maternal Siblings: Takara, Kalia, and Makani

Paternal Siblings: Nyar (d), Unna (d), Kohana (d), Skyla (d), Malia, Sakari, Kyuquot, Taku (d), Sumar (d), Tuar, Tekoa, Ikaika, and Makaio

About Nakai

Nakai was conceived through artificial insemination between Kasatka and Tilikum. Due to an injury (whether whale inflicted or not is unclear) Nakai had a noticeable, triangle shaped scar on his chin, which made him easy to identify. Nakai never underwent major dorsal collapse. 

Nakai died rather suddenly at SeaWorld San Diego. In the park's statement on social media, they stated that he had died of an infection after "every attempt was made to save his life." 

Later on September 19th, 2022, his cause of death was revealed to be "lung disease,"

 although the record didn't specify further what type of lung disease. Nakai's mother, Kasatka, had chronic, recurrent lung disease for many years before she died of it, and pneumonia is an extraordinary common cause of death for captive orca, and I suspect that's what Nakai had, although that is not official and is merely a personal speculation. 

Aggressive Incidents & other injuries

Nakai was never involved in any instances of violence towards trainers or other whales. When he sustained a deep flesh wound on his chin as an adolescent, some thought that it was due to an altercation with Ikaika, while others maintained it was sustained when he cut himself on a gate in the pool. The injury did not show teeth marks, but rather, straight cuts, leaving the real cause of injury up to speculation. He fully healed, and carried an identifying three pronged scar for the rest of his life.