Pronounced: Kah-Sat-Kah
Meaning: "Killer Whale" in Russian
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Park: SeaWorld California
Capture Length:
Capture Weight:
Current Length: 17 feet (5.15m)
Current Weight: 5,400 pounds (2,454 kilos)
Kasatka was captured in Iceland in October 1978 with Katina, Kotar, Betty, Kahana and an unnamed male and female. They awaited sale in the Saedyrasafnid Aquarium. Kasatka was sold to SeaWorld and was sent to SWC. Kasatka was first sent to SeaWorld California. She lived there until 1982, when she was moved to SeaWorld Ohio. She lived there with Katina. The performed in the summer, but were moved to SWC each winter, when the park closed for the season. She lived some years with Katina, from 1982 to 1984, at SeaWorld Ohio during the summer and when the park closed during the winter, they were sent back to SeaWorld California. From 1985 to 1987, Kasatka performed with Kahana and Samoa at SWO. In October 1987, Kasatka was moved to SWF. She joined Katina, Kalina, Kotar and Kanduke. However, when SeaWorld Texas opened in 1988, Kasatka went there. Kotar joined her later on in that year. She lived there for two years with him, Kenau, and Kayla. She assisted Kenau during her birth to Kayla.
On the 13th of February 1990, Kasatka was moved for the last time to SWC. It was found out that she was pregnant, and Kotar fathered the calf. She gave birth to this, her first calf on July 9th, 1991. The calf was a little girl and was later named Takara. Kasatka did not have another calf for some time, because the mature male, Ulises, reportedly had a low sperm count. In spring of 2000, Kasatka was the first Orca ever to be artificially inseminated. 17 months later, Kasatka gave birth to a little boy, named Nakai. Kasatka became a grandmother on May 3rd, when Takara gave birth to Kohana. Kasatka assisted the birth.
Kasatka is the dominant Orca at SWC, and has been since her arrival. She is very good mother and gets on with all the Orcas at SWC apart from Splash, and she appears to pick on him. She is a very experienced performer and knows a lot of signals. She does do waterwork, but because of her dominance, this is only done with Senior Trainers. Once, Kasatka was separated from Takara while performing. She was not having this and she dragged her trainer underwater and began pushing and biting him. He was not hurt. She performs every day in Shows. Kasatka loves hunting Seagulls. If she catches one, she kills it instantly but sometimes she plays with it. Then she eats it. The other Orcas wait patiently, and if Kasatka is in a good mood, and feels like sharing, everybody had a bit. Kasatka recently gave birth to her third calf, on 22nd December 2004. The calf was a female, and has not yet been named. She and the calf are doing well. Because of her recent pregnancy and birth, Kasatka was spending less and less time with Nakai. He is more independent now and spends more time playing with the other Orcas.
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