NOVEMBER 30, 2006 - SEAWORLD TRAINER HURT IN WHALE ATTACK
Allison Hoffman, The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO - A killer whale that dragged a trainer underwater during a show at SeaWorld Adventure Park, breaking his foot, may be allowed to perform again, park officials said Thursday. "Animals who have been involved in incidents like this in the past have been allowed to continue performing," SeaWorld San Diego spokesman Dave Koontz said. Park trainers were examining the whale, a female orca named Kasatka, and trying to determine what made her grab her trainer, Ken Peters, Koontz said. Peters, 39, remained hospitalized with a broken foot after the whale grabbed him and twice held him underwater during a show. He had a fractured metatarsal in his left foot but was in good spirits, Koontz said. Peters was hurt around 5 p.m. Wednesday during the final show of the day at Shamu Stadium, a 36-foot-deep tank. The show's finale called for Kasatka to shoot out of the water so Peters could dive off her nose. The whale is about 17 feet long and weighs well over 5,000 pounds. As several hundred spectators watched, the whale and trainer plunged underwater, where Kasatka grabbed Peters by the foot and held him for less than a minute before surfacing, Koontz said. "The trainer was being pinned by the whale at the bottom of the pool," Karen Ingrande told KGTV-TV. When they came up, Peters tried to calm the animal by rubbing and stroking its back but it grabbed him and plunged down again for about another minute. The crowd "began to realize there was not something right and the whale was down again under the water. Again they were splashing the water to try to get the whale to come to the surface," Ingrande said. The whale finally released him and Peters was able to surface and swim away. Other trainers stretched a net between him and Kasatka, Koontz said. He emerged from the tank with one leg of his wet suit torn. "He tried to stand up on the stage and that's when we realized there was something wrong with his leg and his foot. He was just white as a ghost," spectator Sherri Justice told KFMB-TV in San Diego. Mike Scarpuzzi, who oversees zoological operations, said Peters has been working with animals for 16 years, including 12 spent at Shamu Stadium. "His skills and techniques, and close relationship with the whale played a major role in helping the animal calm down and allowed him to eventually swim out of the pool," Scarpuzzi said. The park planned to continue the Shamu Stadium shows Thursday using other whales. The park has a total of seven killer whales, including two of Kasatka's offspring, Koontz said. He did not know whether Kasatka would be allowed to perform. Koontz said trainers from the San Diego park and sister parks in San Antonio and Orlando, Fla., planned to confer Thursday and review the incident in an effort to figure out what made the orca grab Peters. Koontz said the 30-year-old orca had been performing most of her life and was familiar with the routine. "She's been one of our strongest, most consistent performers," he said. Koontz said a different whale dived with a trainer's foot in its mouth two or three weeks ago but obeyed commands to release the trainer and return to the side of the tank. The trainer was not injured. SeaWorld officials reported in 1999 that Kasatka tried to bite a trainer during a show, but he was unhurt.

NOVEMBER 30, 2006 - PARK'S KILLER WHALE ALMOST LIVES UP TO NAME
CNN.com
SAN DIEGO, California - A killer whale at the Sea World theme park grabbed a trainer by the foot and held him underwater during a show Wednesday. The trainer escaped and was in good condition later, park officials said. Kasatka, a 30-year-old killer whale who is a veteran of many performances, grabbed the trainer and pulled him underwater, said Mike Scarpuzzi, head trainer at Sea World. Other trainers were able to persuade the whale to surface, allowing the trainer a breath of air, but enacted emergency procedures in place for such instances, Scarpuzzi said. The other trainers got a net in the pool, and the trainer, who also has years of experience, was able to calm the whale, swim to the other side of the net and get out of the pool, he said. (Watch paramedics work poolside) The San Diego Fire Department received a call that the 33-year-old whale trainer was pinned at the bottom of the tank by a whale, said dispatcher Julianna Humphries. The caller said other trainers were attempting to retrieve the man. Scarpuzzi said there have been no previous serious incidents with Kasatka. "She has not done this particular unwanted behavior to this extent," Scarpuzzi said. "She has displayed unwanted behavior to some extent. ... There are times like this. They are killer whales. She did choose to demonstrate her feelings in a way that was unfortunate." Scarpuzzi said he was dismayed that park guests had to witness the incident, which occurred in late afternoon during the "Believe" show. The trainer was taken to a hospital, where officials reported he was in good condition. "That's the good news we were hoping for," Scarpuzzi said. He declined to identify the trainer, saying he wanted to make sure his family had been notified of the incident, but said the man had 16 years of training experience, including 12 years with Kasatka. He said it had not been decided whether Kasatka will perform Thursday. The park has seven whales and rotate them for performances, he said. Trainers are strong swimmers and taught to develop communication and relationship skills with the whales, he said. Using those skills, he said, the trainer was able to calm the whale and end the incident. "It turned out exactly the way we would want it if something like this were to ever happen."

Although no name has been given yet, it's believed that the trainer involved was Ken "Pete" Peters.

NOVEMBER 18, 2006 - SEAWORLD ORCAS MOVED
SeaWorld Park Visitors
Sometime last night or early this morning, Taku was transferred from SeaWorld Orlando to SeaWorld San Antonio, and Kayla, who was at SeaWorld San Antonio, took Taku's place in Orlando. Ikaika has also been moved, and it is believed he is now at MarineLand of Canada since he has not been seen at any of the SeaWorld parks. Taku and Ikaika had been at SeaWorld Orlando with their mother Katina since their births in 1993 and 2002 respectively. Kayla was born at SeaWorld San Antonio in 1988 where she lived for almost three years before she was moved to the now closed SeaWorld Aurora in 1991, but she returned to San Antonio in 1999. The reason for the moves is not clear. The best of wishes go out to the SeaWorld staff and the orcas.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 - THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Scott Powers, Orlando Sentinel
Not to call Katina a stage mom, but her newest baby, a killer whale born Monday, already is getting into the family act at SeaWorld. The unnamed calf and its mother live in the same multimillion-gallon pool that SeaWorld uses for its signature "Believe" show at Shamu stadium. Officials figured the show would be canceled for a few days but by 1 p.m. today — less than 24 hours after the calf was born — a modified show reopened with them. An abbreviated Believe show was held at 1 p.m. today, and another is expected for the 5:45 scheduled Believe show. "What we're doing right now is calling it a 'Baby Believe' show," said Chuck Tompkins , vice president of animal training. "We modified the show. Basically we can't do all of the things we do because we have a mom and a newborn baby in the pool. But this mom is a very experienced mom. This is her sixth baby. She's able to move and manipulate the baby around, so we can bring out other whales and do all sorts of behaviors." The Baby Believe show begins with a video and discussion of the birth, and a truncated version of the show about how killer whales changed the lives of their trainers. Tompkins said the full Believe show could be back in a couple days. SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said the calf appears extremely healthy and strong, and began nursing quickly. Its gender still is not known.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 - SEAWORLD'S FAMILY OF KILLER WHALES INCREASES BY ONE
Scott Powers, Orlando Sentinel
SeaWorld Orlando has a new killer whale, a 7-foot-long, 350-pound calf born Monday afternoon. The unnamed calf and its mother, Katina, are doing well but won't be immediately on view for the public, SeaWorld officials said Monday. The calf was born at 3:23 p.m. in the park's multimillion-gallon research and breeding facility, Shamu Stadium, following a 1 1/2-hour labor. Moments later, the baby whale instinctively swam to the surface for its first breath of air. SeaWorld animal-care specialists are cautiously optimistic. The next important step in the baby's development is nursing, which typically occurs within the first 24 hours. The gender of the calf won't be known until it starts swimming apart from Katina. "We're celebrating today. It's awesome," said Laura Surovik, SeaWorld's assistant curator. "This baby is definitely a healthy, big baby. . . . She or he is already searching to go ahead and nurse." The newborn is the 14th killer whale born at SeaWorld Orlando, the first since last November.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 - MATRIARCH MOM GIVES BIRTH TO NEWEST MEMBER OF THE SHAMU FAMILY
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando welcomed a new baby killer whale to the Shamu family today, Monday, September 18.

The calf's mother, Katina, gave birth to the 7-foot-long, 350-pound newborn at 3:23 PM in the park's multimillion-gallon research and breeding facility, Shamu Stadium, following a 1.5 hour labor. Moments later, the baby whale instinctively swam to the surface of the water for its first breath of air.

SeaWorld animal care specialists remain cautiously optimistic about the progress of the baby and its mother. The next important step in the baby's development is nursing, which typically occurs within the first 24 hours.

The mother, Katina, is the matriarch of the SeaWorld Orlando Shamu family and also birthed the first Baby Shamu more than 20 years ago. She is 18 feet long and weights 5,400 pounds.

SeaWorld's breeding program is the most successful in the world. This calf is the 14th killer whale born at SeaWorld Orlando and the 22nd to be born and successfully raised throughout all of the SeaWorld parks.

The sex of the calf is yet to be determined.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 - BABY'S FIRST BREATH
SeaWorld welcomes the newest member of the Shamu family.
SeaWorld Orlando
The newest member of the Shamu family takes its first breath alongside her mom, Katina, today at SeaWorld Orlando. The 18-foot long, 5,400 pound mom gave birth to the 7-foot-long, 350-pound bundle of joy at 3:23 p.m. at the park’s Shamu Stadium. The sex is yet to be determined.

JULY 25, 2006 - MARINELAND CÔTE D' AZUR BOUGHT OUT BY SPANISH GROUP PARQUES REUNIDOS
TourMaG.com, Nice Rendez-Vous, and Sophianet.com
On Monday in Paris, France, Parques Reunidos, a Spanish company, bought out Marineland, the largest marine park in France, which brings in nearly a million and a half visitors each year. Parques Reunidos already manages twenty tourist attractions, five of which are marine parks which are located in Spain and Argentina. Although the exact amount of money used to purchase Marineland is not known, it's estimated to be 40 million Euros ($50.5 million) or possibly even much higher at 75 million Euros ($95 million). The Spanish group announced it would invest 12 million Euros ($15 million) into the park during the two next years. The Spanish group will officially take control of Marineland on Thursday. One concern is that the five orcas living at Marineland will be split up and sent to other marine parks. One of the parks owned by Parques Reunidos is L'Oceanogrŕfic, located in Valencia, Spain. They already own belugas and dolphins, and there is word they may have facilities that can house orcas. L'Oceanogrŕfic is in competition with another marine park in Spain, Loro Parque which just recently acquired four orcas from SeaWorld in the United States.

JULY 21, 2006 - MARINELAND MAKES WAY FOR RESORT
Almost 20 years after the park closed, workers are tearing down the remaining buildings.
Deborah Schoch, Los Angeles Times
The familiar whale spout sign is missing its whale. Behind scraggly Italian cypress, the five entrance flagpoles are barely visible. The sweeping 170-degree ocean view from the once-gracious Catalina Room is blocked by a tangle of weeds encircling the patio where wedding couples waltzed. And inside the big round building that was the backdrop for MTV television shows such as "Beach House," ragged black graffiti covers the walls. Demolition started Thursday in Rancho Palos Verdes on the last remaining buildings of what was once Marineland of the Pacific, a mecca for Los Angeles-area families for more than three decades. One year older than Disneyland, Marineland, which opened in 1954, was one of Southern California's first theme parks. It once billed itself as "the world's largest oceanarium" and featured such baby boom icons as the 320-foot-high Skytower and Bubbles, billed as the world's first trained and performing whale. Now, 19 years after Marineland closed its doors, workers have begun transforming the site on a spectacular oceanfront bluff at the south face of the Palos Verdes Peninsula into the posh 102-acre Terranea resort, due to open in 2008. Today, the vacant site is distinguished by weeds, graffiti, broken glass and discarded empty bottles of cheap wine. It has become a popular playground for young people who cut through the wire-mesh fences and hold late-night parties, say city officials and representatives of developer Lowe Enterprises Inc. They call the buildings a safety hazard, and say they're concerned about liability. Vandals repeatedly tear down the plywood nailed over the windows of about 20 remaining buildings, mostly decrepit one-story wood structures from the 1950s, hidden behind overgrown ficus and 5-foot-high fennel. "Literally every week, we board these buildings up again," said landscape architect Todd Majcher, a Lowe assistant vice president and project manager, as he pointed to a section of the wire-mesh fence that had been cut and then mended with wire. The Skytower and aquariums were torn down long ago. Still standing are the 12-room motel, a restaurant and the Catalina Room, which thrived as a wedding and banquet venue long after the park closed. Catered by New York Food Co. of El Segundo, it shut down less than two years ago. The Catalina Room remains virtually intact, with a wooden dance floor, a pastel mural of Catalina Island and a bar and fireplace decorated with teal and terracotta tile. But the bar is bare, the air smells musty, and the room is now used to store boxes of literature and water bottles bearing the Terranea logo. No one has stepped forward to protest the demolition or claim the buildings have historic significance, city officials said. Marineland opened at the start of the baby boom era, before Disneyland and Sea World overshadowed it. It drew schoolchildren from throughout the region, oohing and aahing at the cavorting killer whales Orky and Corky, and crowding into the Sea Arena and the Big Reef. The entrance near the southernmost tip of Hawthorne Boulevard was marked by a tall concrete pillar with two curls — a whale's spout, some say, or perhaps a stylized whale's tail — with a whale and a couple of frolicking dolphins attached. As Sea World boomed in San Diego, Marineland fell out of fashion. After it closed, the federal government deemed the Skytower an aviation problem, and it was demolished. Marines from Camp Pendleton used the land for exercises, and it became a site for such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Fun with Dick & Jane," "The Aviator," "Patriot Games," "Pearl Harbor," "Charlie's Angels," "Spiderman," "Con Air" and "G.I. Jane," along with television shows such as "Lost," "Baywatch" and "The O.C." Over the years since the closing, plans to redevelop the land emerged and fell apart. Owners also came and went. One owner defaulted on its loans and filed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, all plans drew close scrutiny from environmentalists, residents and Coastal Commission experts because of the bluffs and fragile vegetation. Terranea Resort, the latest project, is the work of Lowe's destination and hotel division, which is also developing the Grizzly Ranch in Portola and the Stone Eagle Golf Club in Palm Desert. Lowe's original project drew public opposition because of its size. The City Council rejected it, but approved the current smaller plan.The resort will feature a luxury hotel, 32 villas, casitas, a spa, restaurants and a golf academy. It will have little in common with the old theme park, judging from a Terranea brochure: "This captivating retreat gives one a sense of being enshrouded in a world of tranquillity. Set upon graceful terraces staircasing down to the Pacific, it is a classic American playground destined to rival the world's most legendary seaside escapes." Terranea's developers promise that they will maintain public access and will restore two acres of oceanfront land with native plants, including habitat for the rare El Segundo blue butterfly, which lives on the western edge of the site. The demolition project will continue into August, and groundbreaking for Terranea is set for October. Soon all of Marineland will be gone from the site, even the entrance sign's concrete pillar, which Majcher said is structurally unsound. The concrete whale that once hung from the sign still lives on, however. It was donated to the city of Ranchos Palos Verdes and is stored in the city yard. The whale may go on display again at the newly expanded Point Vicente Interpretive Center nearby, said city planner Ara Mihranian. "We're very into preserving history."

JULY 12, 2006 - MVC CAPITAL ANNOUNCES $14 MILLION INVESTMENT IN MARINE EXHIBITION CORPORATION
MVC Capital, Inc.
MVC Capital, Inc. (NYSE: MVC - News), a publicly traded business development company that makes private debt and equity investments, today announced that the Fund has provided $12 million of debt and $2 million of equity financing to Marine Exhibition Corporation which owns and operates the Miami Seaquarium, a family-oriented entertainment park. The Seaquarium, located less than 10 miles from downtown Miami, opened in 1955 and is South Florida's most visited gated attraction, providing visitors of the theme park access to more than 100 species of animals. The Seaquarium's main attractions include a Killer Whale show, Dolphin and Sea Lion shows, and a Swim with the Dolphins program. The Seaquarium is well known for its marine mammal husbandry, mammal surgery and breeding practices, and for its specialized expertise in the care of dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles. The Fund's investment is intended to support the refurbishment of the Seaquarium which was damaged during Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The refurbishment project includes improvements to the Flipper Dolphin Stadium that will increase the capacity of the Swim with the Dolphins program. "We are pleased to be supporting Marine Exhibition Corporation and the Miami Seaquarium in their efforts to modernize and renovate the park," said Michael Tokarz, Chairman and Portfolio Manager of the Fund. "We look forward to working with management on further building the Seaquarium's reputation and capitalizing on the growing attendance and exciting new exhibits at the park."

JUNE 2, 2006 - LORO PARQUE'S "ORCA OCEAN" SET TO OPEN JUNE 3RD
Loro Parque
After being closed to the public for several weeks, Loro Parque's new state-of-the-art orca facility is due to open on June 3rd. The four orcas from SeaWorld in the United States arrived in February 2006, but shortly after they began to peel the paint off the walls of their exhibit. Official presentations of the orcas were supposed to have begun on March 17th.

MAY 28, 2006 - UNNA DELIVERS STILLBORN
Orca's Wake Forums
According to a source, Unna gave birth to a stillborn calf in late April. Sonograms of the fetus showed that its vital signs weren't as strong as they should have been. There's been no word on the exact date of the delivery or the sex of the calf. Unna seems to be doing well as she's been participating in the shows again. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Unna and the SeaWorld San Antonio trainers and staff for the loss.

MAY 12, 2006 - SEAWORLD SHOW MAKES SPLASH
Breuse Hickman and Donna Balancia, FloridaToday.com
Shamu has gone all-theatrical on us. He jumps, plunges, flips and rolls over -- in time with an anthemic orchestral score written for the show. "Believe," SeaWorld's new killer-whale show, made its debut Thursday in Orlando. Despite a band of short-lived, heavy showers that forced the show to take an unscheduled break, "Believe" continued seamlessly through its paces without missing a beat. Eight whales -- each weighing 6,000 to 10,000 pounds -- and their trainers perform a series of acrobatic and artistic movements in a tank situated in front of a three-story set that includes a whale-tail sculpture and four screens that rotate and move into several positions to provide a variety of visual backdrops. Gone are trainers explaining whales and their stunts and tricks, known as "behaviors." In its place is a story about a young boy who dreams of becoming a killer-whale trainer. "Where prior shows have been more about the whales' behaviors, this is more about the relationship between the whale and his trainer," said Jim Atchison, executive vice president and general manager of SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. He added that the show is the most elaborate and expensive SeaWorld show to date. Indeed, the show offers plenty of action and drama, particularly in the beginning, in which a trainer remembers his first time getting close to a whale. "Originally, I didn't think we could pull off showing a moment of real emotion in a stadium that seats 5,000-plus," said Don Frantz, the show's creative director and producer. "But it works. It works because the trainers are getting to tell their stories. And so it's believable." Four years ago, the New York City-based Frantz -- whose producing credits include "Disney's The Lion King" and "Disney's Beauty and the Beast"-- began working closely with trainers to develop the story. "For 30 years, most of the shows (at SeaWorld) have been very presentational and had the trainers in a teacher information mode," Frantz said. "Now we've come up with a story that involves both the whales and the trainers, and it still gets the message across." For the production, Frantz enlisted Steve Bass -- whose design credits include the Grammy and Tony awards -- and film composer Christopher Ward. Even with its Broadway and Hollywood underpinnings, Shamu still provides what he's best known for: Soaking nearly half of the audience. "I was a little nervous," said Austin Greene, 12, of Apopka. He had been picked from the audience to get up close and personal with Shamu. "All they told me ahead of time was that I was going to be feeding the whale," he said. Austin got a little wet, too, and offered his own critique of the new show having seen previous Shamu shows in the past. "This one is much better," he said. "On the last one, they (the trainers) didn't do flips off the whale." Trainers have added about 20 new behaviors to the routine. Laura Surovik, assistant curator of animal training, has worked as a whale trainer at SeaWorld for 21 years, but says the newest show offers a new opportunity to show combine acting with art and athleticism. "It's inspiring and people's reaction to it is so much different compared to the past shows," she said. "This is really a show about believing in yourself. The connection that trainers make with the whales is very much like the connection humans make with each other." She said one of her favorite parts of each show is talking to folks after each performance. "People have come up to me in tears because they've been inspired to pursue a dream they may have had," Surovik said. "The great thing about this show is it can go as deep as you want it to. One kid told me that after seeing the show he believed he could do back-flips." In the Central Florida market, SeaWorld competes for tourist dollars against such formidable players as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Los Angeles-based theme park consultant Nick Winslow said, with its new show, SeaWorld is "trying to put in a new show they can promote." "There's no question that the star of any of these shows is the animals," Winslow said. "No matter what you build around them, the stars are the animals. Walt Disney said: 'You've got to get kids to the "educ-able" moment.' The opening few lines -- the statement that sets up the rest of the story -- is critically important. Once you've got their attention, you can teach them something." Ellen Hernandez of Melbourne said her children would like the "Believe" show, but the cost of getting there makes it difficult. "It's good to see the animals, but I think people are having a hard time with the high cost of gas and transportation," Hernandez said. "If it's an animal show, I will go to Brevard Zoo before driving to Orlando." Among teenagers, SeaWorld could be a popular choice, but 18-year-old Chad Coco of Cocoa balks at the price tag. "I'd go if I could afford it right now," he said. "With minimum wage being where it's at, it's difficult for people my age to have extra money. I've been to Islands of Adventure and MGM a few times already. I'd go back to SeaWorld if I could." Universal operates Islands of Adventure, while Disney-MGM Studios is one of Disney's four major Orlando-area theme parks. Rhonda Murphy, a spokeswoman for Universal Orlando, said Universal has some new attractions of its own in the pipeline. "We are going to be offering brand-new attractions and offerings in entertainment throughout our entire destination," Murphy said. "We have exciting things to offer guests, starting this summer. We always want to give our guests the best entertainment possible, and we are adding to the plethora of experiences, with brand-new entertainment and attraction options throughout the destination."

MAY 2, 2006 - KILLER WHALE CALF MOVED TO SHAMU THEATER
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio today announced that Halyn, the female killer whale calf born at the marine life adventure park on Oct. 9, was moved to the pools at Shamu Theater. Halyn, now six months old, weighs 778 pounds and is eating 29 pounds of fish daily.

"Halyn has shown the steady progress that was necessary for us to make this move," said Dave Force, vice president of zoological operations at the marine life adventure park. "In the past six months, Halyn has grown and changed. Our team continues to be delighted about her advancements. We consider her move into the community at Shamu Theater an important next step in her growth."

Since her birth last fall, animal care specialists and trainers have been giving Halyn twenty-four hour care, including bottle feedings of commercial formula every two hours. In the past 30 days, she has progressively eaten more fish and is now fully weaned from bottles of formula. She is weighed regularly and periodic blood samples are being taken to monitor her health.

Animal training staff continue to work daily with Halyn to train husbandry behaviors. These are routine procedures like presenting tail flukes for inspection, swimming along a line to take measurements and swimming into a stretcher for periodic weight checks. All SeaWorld killer whales are trained in these procedures as they assist in their physical care.

Halyn will be acclimating in one of the back pools at the Shamu Theater for a period of time, after which she will be introduced to the other killer whales one at a time. There are no immediate plans for Halyn to perform in the park's new Shamu show, "Believe."

APRIL 26, 2006 - SARAH PASSES AWAY
Kamogawa Sea World
Sarah at Kamogawa Sea World in Japan passed away at 2:45 PM today. She became sick in May 2005, but seemed to recover in August 2005. Her health declined again earlier this month and she was moved to an indoor pool for medical care on April 24th, but by then it was too late. Sarah was born on May 31, 2003 to mother Stella and father Bingo. She was only a month shy of her 3rd birthday. Sarah leaves behind her parents, her three sisters (Lovey, Lara, and Ran), and an unrealated male named Oscar. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kamogawa Sea World staff and the Kamogawa orca family.

APRIL 26, 2006 - STELLA'S CALF IS NAMED RAN
Kamogawa Sea World
According to the Kamogawa Sea World website, Stella's calf has been named Ran which means "water lily" in Japanese. 11,100 visitors to Kamogawa Sea World turned in name suggestions over the past month, but the final decision was made by Kamogawa staff. The name is taken from both Stella and Bingo's names. Ran was born two months ago on February 25th to Stella and Bingo. Since her birth, she's put on 151 pounds and grown a foot longer.

APRIL 10, 2006 - LORO PARQUE'S "ORCA OCEAN" HAS SOME SETBACKS
Canarian Weekly
Loro Parque's new state-of-the-art orca facility is having some complications. According to Canarian Weekly, the cause of the problem with Loro Parque's "Orca Ocean" facility just so happens to be the orcas themselves. The orcas have been pulling off the coating of the pools. It is not known just what the orcas are pulling off whether it be the paint or caulking around the windows. The facility will be closed until further notice for the safety of the whales. Official presentations of the orcas were supposed to have begun on March 17th, but with the problems, there is no word on when things will be working again.

MARCH 6, 2006 - TAKARA'S CALF IS NAMED TRUA
Beyond Blue Forums
Takara's three month old son has now been named Trua which means "believe" in Icelandic. He was named in honor of the new show that will premiere in May at SeaWorld Orlando. Upon his naming, he was presented with a whale-sized birth certificate. Trua was born on November 23, 2005 at the park. Although there's yet to be any official word about who the father is, it's likely 12-year-old Taku. Trua can be seen in the shows already as he swims along next to his mother. He also has a playful side and does not seem to shy away from guests at the park.

FEBRUARY 24, 2006 - STELLA GIVES BIRTH TO BABY GIRL!
Kamogawa Sea World
Stella at Kamogawa Sea World in Japan gave birth on February 25th to a healthy baby girl. This is her fourth calf and fourth daughter. All have been fathered by Bingo, one of the parks resident adult males. Labor began around 5:40 AM, and at 8:11 AM, the baby was born head first. The calf was helped to the surface for her first breath by her mother and sisters, Lovey and Lara. The calf is about 6.5 feet long (2 meters) and weighs around 350 to 400 pounds (160 to 180 kilograms). Stella and her calf will be on 24 hour watch for the next few months. Congratulations and best wishes to Kamogawa Sea World and Stella!

FEBRUARY 20, 2006 - SEAQUARIUM CRITIC CLAIMS STAR WHALE LOLITA IS DYING
Douglas Hanks III, MiamiHerald.com
Russ Rector has turned to the air -- and the Web -- to wage his anti-Seaquarium campaign. The dolphin trainer turned anti-captivity activist claims the Miami Seaquarium's new website hints at a grim new strategy for the Miami marine park: preparing for the death of its star attraction, Lolita the Killer Whale. Rector hired a plane to tow a "Lolita is Dying" banner over the Seaquarium when it reopened after a four-month closure after Hurricane Wilma. Now he says the park's refurbished website proves the aging orca's end is near. The page's tagline used to read "Home of Lolita the Killer Whale and Flipper the Dolphin," but now says "South Florida's #1 Tourist Attraction." Finding a mention of Lolita took several mouse clicks last week, and killer whales weren't included in a poll asking visitors to pick their "favorite marine mammal." "They know she's dying, and they are removing her from everything," Rector said. Seaquarium executives dismissed the theory as the latest rant by Rector, who runs a parody site, miamiseaprison.com. They say Lolita is healthy, and that the website soon will include prominent photos of the park's animals. They note Lolita will play a starring role in new taxi advertisements, light pole banners and a promotion with Publix grocery stores. The Seaquarium rushed to get the new website up by the Feb. 11 reopening and "there are some changes that need to be made in regards to featuring all of our animals more, not just any one particular whale," marketing chief Eric Eimstad wrote in an e-mail. Seaquarium executives estimate Lolita is about 40 years old. Female orcas usually die by 50 in the wild and by 20 in captivity, though "a few" have lived past 30, according to the Humane Society of the United States. With new orcas extremely hard to buy, the executives acknowledge they may be left without a star killer whale some day. But Eimstad said there's no way of knowing when that day may come. "Lolita is not dying," Eimstad wrote. "She is aging, like we all are. That is a huge difference."

FEBRUARY 18, 2006 - LORO PARQUE'S NEW ORCAS DELIGHT THE PUBLIC
La Opinión de Tenerife and EL DIA.es
The new arrivals were a big hit yesterday according to a Tenerife newspaper. The presentation was delayed over an hour due to 3,000 guests and 200 journalists finding space in the stadium. The four orcas, Keto, Tekoa, Kohana, and Skyla, all seem to be in good spirits as they swam and played in their new home. The main pool is 120 meters long, 12 meters deep, and holds about 22 million liters of filtered, natural saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean. The stadium has three more interconnecting pools including one for medical purposes. After music and speeches, the orcas gave a small performance for the guests. The president of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling, hopes that the new show/exhibit will be one of the best in the world. Kiessling is pleased to have the orcas, all of which are second-generation born. This isn't the first time that SeaWorld has lended a hand to the Spanish park. Loro's penguin exhibit was created with a little help from SeaWorld, and it's one of the largest in the world. Official shows for "Orca Ocean" look to be scheduled to start on March 15th of this year.

FEBRUARY 17, 2006 - BEIJING AQUARIUM TO IMPORT KILLER WHALES
Chinanews.cn
The Beijing Aquarium has signed a cooperation agreement with Taiji Whale Museum of Japan on whale feeding and research. According to the new agreement signed Thursday evening (September 29, 2005), Beijing Aquarium will bring killer whales from Taiji Whale Museum. The aquarium hopes that the killer whales will start performing for the public in three years -- just in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the signing ceremony, both sides agreed to share resources in whale studies, operation and management. They also hope the cooperation and exchanges in the marine animals research will promote the friendship between the two peoples. Beijing Aquarium, the largest one in China, imported six dolphins from Taiji in 2002.

FEBRUARY 16, 2006 - WASHINGTON STATE'S KILLER WHALE OFFICIALLY LISTED AS ENDANGERED TODAY
Peggy Andersen, The Associated Press
The listing of Washington state's killer whale population as an endangered species - long awaited by the environmental community - takes effect today. What will change for the orcas that spend their summers chasing salmon around the San Juan Islands? Not much, at least not at first. The southern resident orca population numbers 89 animals, down from an estimated high of about 125 in the 1960s, when now-banned captures for marine aquariums began. The killer whales have been protected since 2002 as a depleted species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires a conservation plan. The Endangered Species Act listing, announced late last year, requires a more demanding recovery plan, so the National Marine Fisheries Service is upgrading the conservation plan it prepared earlier. "We intend to issue that shortly," probably this spring, said Bob Lohn, the agency's Northwest regional director. "We hope the recovery plan will be much more action-oriented than research-oriented," said Kathy Fletcher of the People for Puget Sound. "Research is fine but we think they've mistaken research for action." The next big step is defining the orcas' critical habitat. "That's the tool that adds something to the protections for the whales," Lohn said. NMFS expects to issue its report on proposed critical habitat soon - perhaps within a month. At least one public hearing is likely, "depending on the level of interest," Lohn said. "We expect to be held accountable for our reasons and the science behind it." The whales' acoustical environment is critical to ensure their ability to find food through hearing and sonar-like echolocation, said Fred Felleman of Ocean Advocates. That could raise questions about vessel noise in the state's bustling Northwest inland waters and perhaps military sonar testing. Also critical is the physical environment for forage fish such as herring, which are a central food source for salmon - a staple of the southern resident orcas. Or, as Felleman put it: "The acoustical environment so they can find the food, and the physical environment so there is food to be found." Once critical habitat has been defined, anyone planning activity in those areas - projects that involve federal funding, agencies or permits - must consult with NMFS beforehand. "Strictly private activity is not regulated under critical habitat," Lohn said. "That's one of the places where the Endangered Species Act really has teeth," Fletcher said of the consultation requirement. Her group hopes NMFS will be looking closely at a contested bid for expansion of a gravel-mining operation on Maury Island, southwest of Seattle. "It triggers a consultation," Lohn noted. "It doesn't automatically trigger restrictions." "We'll be looking to determine as best we can the likely effect on killer whales," he said, "which is different from saying whether we think the activity is a good thing or a bad thing." "Critical habitat would provide an additional layer of protection to ensure that we actually see recovery of the southern residents" - not merely maintenance of the status quo, said Brent Plater with the Center for Biological Diversity, lead author of the petition to list the orcas as an endangered species. Food availability and toxic contamination are two critical issues for orcas, he said, adding that critical habitat could include areas the whales' prey need for spawning. Protecting critical habitat appears to double the chances for species recovery, Plater said. "If you don't protect the homes they need to survive, you can't expect them to start recovering." He's wary of the Bush administration, saying political expedience often is a factor in critical habitat designations. "The ESA itself is in danger in Congress," Plater added, "If the Endangered Species Act is rolled back ... you can rest assured that the legal protections that the southern residents need and deserve to survive and recover will be lost." Susan Berta of Orca Network said she's optimistic. "People are beginning to understand just how unique and amazing they are and how lucky we are to have the southern resident population in this urban fishbowl," she said, noting that "our burgeoning population is having an impact on the salmon and the orcas." NMFS enforcement officers will be monitoring whale-watching operations very closely now, Lohn said. There are no proposed changes in the rules, which bar harassment of orcas and operation of engines within 100 yards. "Our enforcement strategy is to try to make sure people are aware of these animals and treat them with great respect," he said. "We've found it's more important to have people conscious of these animals and really trying to stay out of their way ... than to be out there with a measuring tape arresting everyone who crosses a hypothetical line. "We're much more interested in getting people to understand and behave themselves."

FEBRUARY 14, 2006 - FOUR OF SEAWORLD'S ORCAS LEAVE FOR SPAIN
Lolbé Corona, Rumbo En Internet
Yesterday SeaWorld San Antonio loaded up two of their male orcas, Keto and Tekoa, on a Boeing 747 for a long trip to their new home in Tenerife, Spain at Loro Parque. They made a stop Orlando to pick up two female orcas, Kohana and Skyla. 12 penguins, hundreds of tropical fish, and four sharks were also sent to the park. In 2004, an agreement was made between SeaWorld and Loro Parque to loan them four of their orcas. Since that time, trainers from Loro Parque have worked closely with the SeaWorld trainers and orcas at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio. This is the first time that SeaWorld has loaned out their orcas to another park. The flight to Spain will take almost 17 hours from San Antonio. Best wishes to the animals, the trainers, and Loro Parque.

FEBRUARY 14, 2006 - OVERCOMING WILMA, MIAMI SEAQUARIUM REOPENS
Jessica Gresko, The Associated Press
The buzz of drills and the whoosh of power washers joined the whistles of bottlenose dolphins and barks of sea lions Friday as the staff of Miami Seaquarium made last-minute preparations for the park's reopening. The aquarium on Virginia Key has been closed since late October when a storm surge from Hurricane Wilma dropped silt into low-lying exhibits, killing more than 1,000 fish and 15 sharks. The storm also downed trees, flooded large parts of the park and damaged its seawall. "We had an unwelcome guest here at the park named Wilma and because of her we haven't been able to entertain any other guests since," said Seaquarium general manager Andrew Hertz. Visitors will notice several changes at the park, which reopened Saturday, Hertz said. There's a new sea lion show, and the park's color scheme has been changed from largely greens and browns to brighter, art deco colors. The park also has more fish, as curators collected more than 2,500 from Biscayne Bay and nearby reefs to replace the fish that died after the storm. "There's twice as many fish as there were before Wilma," Seaquarium curator Robert Rose said. Some of the new fish were donated, while Rose and other staff members went out on boats and donned scuba gear to do some of the collection themselves. The task of replacing the fish was a large one, but also fun, Rose said. "It's not every day that you get to come to work and get on a boat and go out and swim in the ocean," he said. Hertz said the storm cost $2.5 million in property damage and $4.4 million in lost revenue to the park, where the 1960s television series "Flipper" was filmed. The repairs are still ongoing. "We've got more trees to come. We've got more growth to come," Hertz said. During the closure, the park also worked on improvements mandated by the county in 2003, bringing the 50-year-old park up to current building standards. The upgrades are expected to be finished by this summer and have so far cost approximately $8.5 million, Hertz said. The park's main building and Reef Aquarium, which were closed for repairs before Wilma, will reopen at the end of February, Hertz said. Because repairs are not complete, visitors to the park this month will receive a free annual pass with a full-price admission ticket. The Seaquarium, located at the southern end of a low-lying barrier island, also was hard-hit after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Five sea lions were electrocuted and several sharks died when the pumping system in their pool flooded. But employees also found five new baby peacocks, and a 50-pound baby manatee.

FEBRUARY 13, 2006 - STRANDED ORCA PASSES AWAY
Kamogawa Sea World
The male orca rescued on February 10th in Katsuura, Japan died today at 2:16 PM. There is no word on the cause of death. Kamogawa Sea World staff worked around the clock to keep the young male alive. The orca was underweight and could barely swim alone. Although this is sad news, the park's adult female orca, Stella, is due to give birth any time soon.

FEBRUARY 11, 2006 - KAMOGAWA SEA WORLD RESCUES STRANDED ORCA
Kamogawa Sea World
On February 10th, an orca was found stranded on a beach in Katsuura, Japan. A surfer apparently discovered the orca at around 2:20 in the afternoon. The presumed 4-year-old male was rescued by Kamogawa Sea World arrived at the Japanese marine park at 7:35 PM. The orca is 13 feet (4 meters) long and weighs 1,675 pounds (760 kilograms). The orca had no serious external wounds, but he could be underweight. By the morning of the 11th, it was found that the whale could not swim on his own. The Kamogawa staff is working around the clock to care for the sickly animal.

FEBRUARY 8, 2006 - AN EVEN BIGGER SPLASH FOR TOP TENERIFE TOURIST PARK
The Fortnightly Tenerife News
Always looking to add new attractions to add to its already impressive spread, Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz, is now set to unveil its latest – and perhaps greatest – wow factor to visitors. If the Planet Penguin exhibit caused a sensation a few years back, then the killer whales currently waiting in the wings are likely to do that and more. Excitement is building as the date for the opening of the park's "orcario" approaches. February 17 will see a bevy of VIPs and politicians attending the historic inaugural performance of the massive creatures in their 120 metre long pool. The four black and white orcas already know their stuff, having been raised and trained at the famous Seaworld centre in the USA, where they and their Tenerife carers have been undergoing special training for the past two years while the "orcario" was being built. Ever bigger and better, Loro Parque is an established Puerto de la Cruz institution which refuses to stand still. From modest beginnings back in 1972 with a small show of performing parrots, the attraction has gone from strength to strength. It still houses the biggest collection of parrots in the world, as well as dolphins, sea lions, one of the world's longest shark tunnels, Europe's biggest penguin exhibit, gorillas, chimps, tigers and panthers and much more. Something for everyone, in fact. The park lays great store by its educational and breeding programmes and the Loro Parque Foundation is recognised internationally as a force for good in worldwide wildlife conservation.

FEBRUARY 1, 2006 - STELLA IS 17 MONTHS PREGNANT!
Kamogawa Sea World
Stella at Kamogawa Sea World is expecting her fourth calf this month. According to the official website for the park, her gestation period is usually 18 months long. Stella was captured from the waters of Iceland in 1987 along with Oscar, a resident male at the park. Stella gave birth to her first calf, a daughter named Lovey, in 1998. Her second daughter, Lara, followed in 2001. Her most recent calf, another daughter named Sarah, was born in 2003. All were fathered by Bingo, the resident breeding male. He is also presumed the father of her fourth pregnancy which was apparently conceived on August 15, 2004. Best wishes and much luck to Stella and the Kamogawa Sea World staff!

JANUARY 26, 2006 - SEAWORLD SAN ANTONIO NAMES KILLER WHALE CALF
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio today announced that the female killer whale calf born at the marine life adventure park on Oct. 9 would be named Halyn. The female calf, who continues to grow and thrive under the care of more than fifty SeaWorld animal care specialists and trainers, is now 578 pounds, 7 feet long and has 32 teeth.

"This has been an incredible experience," said Dave Force, vice president of zoological operations at the marine life adventure park. "In the past three months, Halyn has grown and changed. Our team continues to be surprised and delighted about her advancements. We are so confident in her progress that we are introducing fish and beginning the training process."

The name, selected by her caretakers, means "unique, unlike any other" and is a name of American origin. The team unanimously selected the name as it reflects her origins.

Since her birth last fall, animal care specialists and trainers have been giving Halyn twenty-four hour care, including bottle feedings of commercial formula every two hours. She now eats approximately 14 liters of formula daily. She is weighed regularly and periodic blood samples are being taken to monitor her health.

Animal training staff are working daily with Halyn to train husbandry behaviors. These are routine procedures like presenting tail flukes for inspection, swimming along a line to take measurements and swimming into a stretcher for periodic weight checks. All SeaWorld killer whales are trained in these procedures as they assist in their physical care.

SeaWorld San Antonio's Entertainment Department connected an audio system from Shamu Stadium to the zoological support area, where the calf currently resides, that allows the calf to hear the sounds of other killer whales. The calf also has a companion female bottlenose dolphin swimming with her in her pool.

This was the first birth for 17-year-old mother whale, Kayla, who measures 18 feet long and weighs approximately 6,000 pounds. This birth increases SeaWorld San Antonio's killer whale population to eight. Twenty-one killer whales have been born as part of the SeaWorld parks' breeding programs.

JANUARY 11, 2006 - KANDU DIES: MARINELAND KILLER WHALE ENTERTAINED FOR DECADES
Robert Lapensee, Niagara This Week
Kandu, a killer whale who entertained customers at Marineland for decades, has died, Niagara This Week has learned. Marineland marketing manager Ann Marie Rondelli confirmed when contacted by This Week that the orca whose name was synonomous with the entertainment park died Dec. 21. The park is awaiting the results of a necropsy, an autopsy for animals, to determine the cause of death. Killer whales in the wild are believed to have a life span of about 50 years. Rondelli said staff at the popular marine park believe Kandu was in his late thirties. While the park searches for an answer to why Kandu died, two animals rights groups are asking that Marineland's only male killer whale not be replaced, and that the park's breeding program be abandoned. Julie Woodyer, campaigns director of Zoocheck -- a national charitable organization advocating for the protection of wild animals in captivity -- insists whales and dolphins living in the confines of marine park aquariums live unhappy lives and are dying years before they would if they remained in the wild. "The problem with Marineland is the adult whales are dying at young ages," said Woodyer, adding the pools marine parks use as whale habitats in no way compare to natural whale environments. "Anything under 40 is too young." Rondelli said the death of Kandu has been hard on Marineland staff. "Any loss is real upsetting to us," she said. "It's like losing a member of the family." Zoocheck's Woodyer said her agency's records indicate Kandu's age was closer to 27, with the Marine Mammal Inventory Report indicating his birth year was around 1978. That record indicates Kandu was captured near Iceland in 1984. Kandu had been at Marineland since the mid-1980s and was the largest whale at the marine park, tipping the scales at over 3,600 kilogram (about 8,000 pounds). During his youth, Kandu was one of the main attractions at Marineland and was often shown kissing youngsters in Marineland commercials over the last 20 years. In recent years, as Kandu became an older whale, he was taken from the King Waldorf Theatre and could be found swimming in Friendship Cove, Marineland's orca habitat where visitors can view and even touch the whales. Rondelli believed Kandu to be the only male orca at Marineland and said she wasn't aware of any plans park owner John Holer might have to find a replacement. Holer was unavailable for comment at This Week's press deadline. In July, 2005, Marineland was celebrating the birth of three beluga whales and Rondelli said all are doing fine. No orcas were born in 2005 but Atheena, a female sired by Kandu, was born in 2004. Rondelli said the one-year-old is doing well. While saddened to hear the news Kandu passed away, Dan Wilson, public education director for Niagara Action For Animals (NAFA), was concerned Marineland would be out looking for a new male orca to replace Kandu on the stage and in the park's breeding program. "Hopefully they won't get it from the wild, but whether they get one from the wild or from captivity, that whale and its offspring will live a shortened lifespan and lessened quality of life. "These animals don't do well in captivity." Wilson said Marineland should reconsider keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. Woodyer said her records show 18 whale and dolphin fatalities since 1999, with seven of those being orcas. She added five of those whales hadn't even reached the age of seven before passing away. She'd like to see Marineland move more towards a Paramount Canada's Wonderland-type amusement park and away from its live whale and dolphin exhibitions, saying they more about entertainment and money-making than education and conservation. "I'd like to see them focus more on rides and attractions that don't harm animals."

JANUARY 10, 2006 - KANDU VII PASSES AWAY
Zoocheck Canada and Orca Homepage
Kandu VII at MarineLand of Canada passed away on December 21, 2005. The cause is not yet known to the public. Because MarineLand is closed during the winter months, his death was unknown for nearly three weeks. His death marks the ninth for the Canadian marine park's orcas since 1998. Kandu was captured off the coast of Iceland in November 1984 with two other males. He arrived at MarineLand two years later. Kandu fathered 13 pregnancies with three adult females at MarineLand, and out of those 11 were successful births. Today, only his daughter Athena is alive. MarineLand is now down to three orcas, all females. It is unknown as to whether another male will be acquired for the park or if an artificial insemination program will be established. Our thoughts and prayers are with the MarineLand staff and the orcas.