Orca of Punta Norte

by Suzie Hall

Orca Aware’s Suzie Hall, has spent the last year travelling the Americas. One of her highlights was seeing the orca of Punta Norte, within the Peninsula Valdés in Argentina. Here’s her account of the first time she witnessed their unique hunting behaviour!

Waiting at the viewpoint in Punta Norte, binoculars and camera at the ready, I could hardly believe I was about to see something I'd dreamed of for so long: The Punta Norte orca. Some five minutes before, the rangers received a radio notice that there was a group of five orca approaching from the north... 

I heard them first; the unmistakable ‘pfooo’ of an orca blow, which I’ve come to recognise so well. All heads turned to spot glistening droplets of water falling gently back to the water’s surface. The chatter and excitement of the hopeful crowd had ceased in anticipatory silence, and a collective breath was held as we patiently waited. The morning light and calm skies rendered the ocean a softly undulating mirror and we caught our first sight. Two, then three, four, five unmistakable black fins carved their way through the silvery pool, as if in slow-motion. Approaching high-tide, the ocean was only 20 metres from the viewpoint, almost level with the eye, and the orca were cruising adjacent to our perch.

Suzie (right) watching the orcas from shore © pnor.org

Their dorsals grew closer, with louder 'pfoooos' echoing in quick succession as, one after the other, they each took a breath. We could see large, round heads and white eye-patches preceding smooth backs and shimmering saddle patches mere metres away. 

No one uttered a word as we watched the group swim gracefully by. For a few moments, all we heard was the orca breathing, the waves lapping at the shore and the click-click of camera shutters. It was a remarkably peaceful scene.

The Punta Norte orca are arguably one of the most distinct of all orca populations, intentionally stranding themselves to catch their prey. Only in Argentina and the Crozet Islands have orca been seen to exhibit this behaviour, and only a handful of orca in each population actually hunt using this technique. This truly makes it one of the most fascinating natural spectacles to witness. 

The orca time their arrival at these beaches with the South American sea lion and elephant seal pupping seasons. They are waiting as the pups venture away from the safety of their colonies, splashing into the water for the first time and taking their first swims along the shore. 

This particular group cruised the entire 200 metre length of the viewpoint, very close to the shore. I watched an impressively large male (called “Jaluel”) swim beside two smaller fins as they made their way south towards the “attack channel”. A group of juvenile sea lions, swimming towards the viewpoint at the same time, were frolicking lazily in the pull of the waves. They were naively unaware of the unmistakable outline and silhouette of an orca approaching from only a few tens of metres away. There was no break of the water by a dorsal fin, no audible ‘pfoooo’; just a silent, deadly figure in a single wave for a heartbeat of a second… and then it was gone.

I watched, expecting the crash – the sound of orca and pup colliding in a bloody frenzy. I watched and I waited. I watched until the pups reached the spot where the orca had been, until they were directly in front of me, until they had swum right past in a northerly direction. Disappointed, I allowed myself to take a breath. It was over before it had even begun. Or so I thought.

From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the sharp, black edge of a dorsal fin slicing through the water, tailing the pups with increasing speed. They were closing in. As the pups sensed danger, they sped up, but it was already too late. The orca had accelerated, launching itself into the group, timing its attack perfectly with the breaking wave. There was a lot of splashing, frantic crying, and the entire body of an eight-tonne orca tore the water apart as it charged right out of the ocean and onto the sloping beach. I couldn’t tell whether it had a pup, I was too shocked and awed by the powerful display in front of me to take in all of the details.

A juvenile orca surfaced offshore followed by two more until they formed a tight-knit group again. They had the pup.

For what felt like an age, they splashed and clashed and chased their prey, taking it in turns to lurch out of the water, flip it with their mouths, slapping their tails; putting on an incredible show in their natural, wild environment. I can only imagine it didn’t play out too well for the sea lion pup, as the orca began to calm. Now satiated, they turned south to join their kin.

I remained on the peninsula just shy of a month, making my way to Punta Norte every day to see the orca. And almost every day they came. Although their feeding behaviour is well-studied and “predictable” during this season, no two days felt the same. My wonder at observing them never dwindled.

For part 2 of my Argentine adventure, I will be shining a further spotlight on this orca population and its individuals, as well as letting you know when to go and how to get there!

The Orca of Marineland Antibes

by Sam Lipman 

Few remember Calypso. She was a six year-old orca captured from Canadian waters in December 1969. Calypso was transferred to England and then France, where she was the first orca at Marineland Antibes. Forced to swim alone and invaded with some of the first attempts at artificial insemination, she only survived for one year. Calypso’s heart-wrenching existence served as a symbol of questionable ethics and an omen of darker things to come.

Calypso died in 1970 from an abscess on her lung. Since her death, eleven orca have died at Marineland Antibes. With the exception of Freya’s four stillborn calves, each of these individuals had their own name, given to them by their captors, and their own story. 

Clovis was the second orca to arrive at Marineland Antibes after he was captured by SeaWorld. At just two years-old, he was a victim of the horrific 1970 US Penn Cove orca captures that decimated the Southern resident population from which he originated, (the population is still endangered today).

The young calf was captured at the same time as Lolita, a female orca who is still alive today, isolated in one of the world’s smallest orca tanks at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida. In a distasteful twist over forty years later, Parques Reunidos, the company that owns Marineland Antibes, now also owns the Miami Seaquarium (and Lolita) under its US subsidiary, Palace Entertainment. Parques Reunidos itself is owned by Candover, a private equity fund managed by London-based Arle Capital Partners.

Free-ranging members of the endangered Southern resident population (Photo © Orca Aware)

When Clovis was shipped to Marineland Antibes, he was put into a tank with Calypso. Where Clovis was a Southern resident, Calypso was from the Northern resident community. “In the wild, these populations do not mix,” Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Orca Network and Free Lolita campaign remarked, adding, “Clovis and Calypso would have had no social affiliation or language similarity and it is unlikely they would have been able to socialise without sorting out their dominance roles. That could have been a violent process and one which may never have been resolved.”

Shortly after Clovis arrived at Marineland Antibes, Calypso died, leaving the young male swimming by himself for the two and a half years he survived.

Between 1976 and -89, a further five orca were captured from the wild and taken to Marineland Antibes. Kim, Betty, Kim 2, Freya and Sharkan were all Icelandic in origin. Kim was thought to be five years old when he was taken in October 1976 and he only survived for five years in confinement. Betty was three in October 1978 during her capture and she survived for a meagre nine years. Kim 2 was captured in October 1982 at less than a year old. He survived 23 years at Marineland Antibes and died without reaching the average age expected of male orca in the wild. Sharkan was the last orca to be captured from the wild and sent to Marineland Antibes. She was four years-old when she was taken in October 1989 and she only survived for nineteen years in captivity.  

Of the wild Icelandic orca captured for display at Marineland Antibes, Freya was the last to die. She was captured at the same time as Kim 2 at only one year of age. Over a period of twelve years, Freya had four stillborn calves (that we know of) and she would have been only nine or ten years old when she gave birth to the first. By orca standards, she was too young. Freya passed away in June of last year due to an alleged heart attack.

Freya at Marineland Antibes before she died (Photo © Orca Aware)

John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld orca trainer and supervisor of orca training at Marineland Antibes, saw first-hand how captivity affected several of these orca. During his time at the French park, Hargrove witnessed the orca displaying aggressive behaviours towards the trainers and he personally dealt with several severe aggressions by multiple orca in the water (you can read more about these incidents in his book ‘Beneath the Surface,’ which was released in paperback today). Hargrove also administered medication to the orca, and observed them displaying stereotypic (abnormal repetitive) behaviours due to boredom and stress.  

“One stereotypy Sharkan would display was particularly heart-breaking,” Hargrove recalled, explaining how the young orca would “isolate herself in a corner of the tank, bobbing vertically, up and down, up and down all day long as she made a noise that [he] had never heard any other orca make.” Hargrove also observed the orca swimming in repetitive patterns, obsessively burping, chewing the sides of the concrete tanks until they irreparably damaged their teeth and banging their heads against the concrete walls.

Valentin, an orca born at the park in February 1996, also displayed these self-damaging behaviours. He was Freya’s only surviving offspring and he also died last year, outliving his mother by just four months. At the time of his death, Valentin’s tank was flooded with mud from a storm that Marineland Antibes’ staff did not appear to be prepared for. This was despite the fact that there was a history of flooding in the area and that it had affected the park before. Marineland Antibes has only recently reopened its gates to the public following the 2015 flooding event and it is unclear what measures it has put in place to better protect its animals going forward.

Valentin at Marineland Antibes prior to his death (Photo © Orca Aware)

Although Valentin was the latest orca to die at Marineland Antibes, he will not be the last; four orca (and possibly a fifth, unborn) still remain. But where Calypso’s tragic death marked the start of a long trail of dead orca, Valentin brings the company full circle, dying in October, the same month of the year that his mother and all the other wild-born Icelandic orca were stolen from their native waters for display at Marineland Antibes.

The park currently has one captive-born female, Wikie (who is reportedly pregnant) and three captive-born males, Inouk, Moana and Keijo. All four animals are related and at least one is believed to be inbred. Despite this and the growing scientific evidence that orca welfare is severely compromised in captivity, Marineland Antibes has stated that, unlike SeaWorld, it will continue with its captive orca breeding programme.

“This decision shows poor leadership and a lack of vision,” Hargrove stated, going on to say that, “It is proof that Marineland Antibes is living in a world that is past and gone. The writing is clearly on the wall that the overwhelming majority do not want to see captive orca, or really any captive animals, performing tricks to line pockets.” 

An orca performing a trick at Marineland Antibes (Photo © Orca Aware)

Yvon Godefroid, founder of Belgium-based Dauphins Libres, believes that Parques Reunidos, the company that owns Marineland Antibes, should now feel “obligated to make the same change as SeaWorld in all of its parks throughout Europe and the US.” Godefroid maintains that SeaWorld’s decision to phase out orca captivity is indicative of the emerging acknowledgement that it is not ethical to keep these sentient animals in captivity. In an interview, Godefroid told Orca Aware, “This signal is loud and clear, and is the result of a changing paradigm that is being created by the way that people feel about animal welfare today.”

After perceiving how the general public’s opinion and behaviour towards orca captivity has changed in France in recent years, Godefroid believes that Marineland Antibes, as well as France’s other dolphinaria, will eventually be forced to close if they do not move away from keeping whales and dolphins. In the meantime, there is concern about how Marineland Antibes will continue breeding its orca now that genetic material from SeaWorld is no longer an option for use in its artificial insemination programme.

Godefroid explained, “It is possible that Marineland Antibes will now turn to parks with captive orca in other countries, such as South America and China, or to Russia, where wild orca are still being captured for display.” Parques Reunidos already appears to have a “cooperation agreement” with an entertainment park in China, which Arle Capital Partners announced last year.

Left to right: Wikie, Moana, Freya and Valentin at Marineland Antibes (Photo © Orca Aware)

In light of Marineland Antibes’ decision to keep breeding its orca (and other marine mammals), three organisations have teamed up to bring attention to the welfare plight that these animals are continuing to face. Orca Aware, in partnership with Dauphin Libres, US-based group Tilikum&Co, and with assistance from French organisation Code Animal, is organising a Tweetstorm event for the captives of Marineland Antibes.

“When we first started talking about doing an event for Marineland Antibes, it seemed pretty straight forward,” Haze Sommer, co-founder of Tilikum&Co, explained, “But what the research showed was a dark and insidious history with many layers, like that of an onion. Each time a layer is pulled away, another shocking revelation is exposed. What the captives of Marineland Antibes have endured is absolutely gutting and we have in excess of 200 Tweets for this event that stand testament to that fact.”

Sommer believes that such social media actions are a great way to reach a lot of people, “Tweetstorms are online events where like-minded people can join together at a designated time to Tweet a page of carefully researched, pre-scripted content. The page contains a story that has been adapted for telling on Twitter.” Sommer added that with such powerful momentum in the US to move away from whale and dolphin captivity, “it is now important to take that momentum to other parts of the world. Tweetstorms are one way of doing this.”

Inouk in a tank at Marineland Antibes (Photo © Orca Aware)

When asked why people should join the Tweetstorm, Sommer said that, “With all these animals have suffered, as human spectacles and assets for greedy corporations, they’ve earned their place in history. They deserve to have their stories told and they deserve to be remembered. This Tweetstorm will be doing that for Marineland Antibes’ captives.”

Join the Tweetstorm to help tell the stories of Marineland Antibes’ orca! The event will take place at 12pm EDT (5pm BST) on Friday 22^nd April, which is also this year’s Earth Day. You can find out more by visiting the Tilikum&Co Marineland Antibes Tweet sheet and by “attending” the Facebook event, where you will be provided with all of the information you need to participate.

Writing For Orca: Hello from Suzie!

by Suzie Hall 

Hello - my name is Suzie Hall and I am Orca Aware's new blog writer! 

Like so many, I watched the beloved Free Willy when I was just a few years old and have been completely captivated with orca ever since. I adopted Springer the orca at the age of 11, spent most evenings watching any orca videos and documentaries I could get my hands on, and even emailed SeaWorld when I was ten years old wanting to become a trainer (until I learned about the poor welfare suffered by orca in captivity).

As I grew up, there became a point where I had to try and establish if my love of orca was ‘just a childish phase’ (because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love whales and dolphins as a kid!?), or whether it was built on something more. At University I joined the SCUBA diving society and suddenly my passion for the ocean, marine conservation and orca exploded into life. I am now certain that it’s not just a fad, and I’m confident that I have a long life of orca-related endeavours ahead of me.

Last January, I travelled to Grundarfjörður, Iceland on a three-day orca-watching trip. The area is famous for the huge shoals of herring which visit in the winter months, attracting orca and other cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in their hundreds. Unfortunately, the winter season in 2015 was uncharacteristically lacking in herring, and the fish that often flood the fjords were nowhere to be seen. And neither were the orca. On our third day the boat captain received a call that there were orca right near the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula (about 30km away) and we were taken on a huge three-hour round trip in an attempt to find them, but sadly to no avail.

Our orca watching boat with Laki Tours, Grundarfjörður (Photo © Suzie Hall)

It has always been my dream to finally see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat, and what surprised me the most is that I wasn’t disappointed at all that we hadn’t seen them. I was hugely content in the knowledge that the orca were out there swimming, hunting and playing wherever they liked; that was much more important than my own personal experience.

My trip to Iceland has kick-started my drive to learn and do more for orca. At the dive conference last October I met the members from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and very quickly the conversation turned towards orca (this happens quite a lot!) and I explained how I want to get involved in any way I can. Now I find myself writing for the BDMLR sponsored campaign, Orca Aware and can’t wait to get started!

Suzie trying on BDMLR's orca costume

I am constantly inspired by the tireless work of orca advocates worldwide, and I hope that one day I too will be able to make a contribution. Why such a strong connection to an animal I have never encountered? In truth, I have no logical answer. It is, admittedly, quite strange and perhaps I’ll never be able to explain it. All I can say is that I know my love for them will drive me to spend my life working to understand, protect and educate the world about these fascinating mammals.

My advice to anyone who loves orca and wants to get involved is simply just to go for it. I don’t have a marine-related degree, I have seen a grand total of four dolphins in my life, and I’m living in a completely landlocked city – but that won’t stop me. There are still a shocking number of orca in captivity, our own resident population in UK waters (the West Coast Community) is in danger of extinction and there is still so much we don’t know about orca worldwide. There is a lot to be done for the protection of this species and so many things that people can do; so get started!

In the meantime, I will look forward to bringing you my take on the latest news and information in my up-and-coming Orca Aware blogs. Thanks for reading and please get in touch if there are any topics you would like me to write about! 

Icelandic Orca In Captivity

Information Resource by Orca Aware

Orca Currently Alive

Stella

Stella was around the age of one when she was captured in 1987 and is on display at the Port of Nagoya Aquarium in Japan. Up until 02 August 2014, Stella resided with another wild-caught Icelandic orca, Bingo (also known as Thor). Stella and Bingo produced four surviving calves: Lovey (born 1998), Lara (born 2001), Ran 2 (born 2006) and Rin (also known as Lynn, born 2012). Their third calf, Sarah, lived from May 2003 until April 2006. 

Kiska

Kiska was captured in 1979 at the age of three and is currently the only orca kept at Marineland Ontario in Canada. Kiska has produced five calves, all of which are dead. The longest-living calf died at age six and the shortest-living calf only survived for 62 days. 

Ulises

Ulises was around three years-old when captured from Icelandic waters. Ulises was captured in 1980 and is now held at SeaWorld in California. He suffers from flaccid fin syndrome & prior to SeaWorld's breeding ban, was used as a breeding bull, including to impregnate a captive orca at Marineland Antibes in France. Ulises has sired two calves (although it is unconfirmed whether he is the father of the first calf in France).

Katina

Katina (also known as Kandu 6) is contained at SeaWorld in Florida. Katina was captured in 1978 at the age of two. Katina has four surviving calves, of which only two are at SeaWorld Florida with her. Three more of her captive-born offspring have died. 

• Find out about Katina's calf, Kalina: the original 'Baby Shamu'. 
• Found out about Katina & Tilikum's calf, Taku

Deceased Orca 

A further 49 orca were captured from Icelandic waters (that we know of). Of these, 48 individuals have died in captivity, with only one female surviving past the age of 30 in the captive environment. The majority of these Icelandic orca have survived in captivity for considerably less time, with several having died after only a few months.  

Name, Age at Capture, Time in Captivity: 

Kim, 5 years, 1976 - 1982

Kenau, 1 year, 1976 - 1991

Gudrun, <1 year, 1976 - 1996

Magnus, 1 year, 10/1977 - 12/1977

Canuck 2, 2 years, 1977 - 1981

Koana 2, 2 years, 1977 - 1987

Kandu 5, 3 years, 1977 - 1989

Suzie Wong, <1 year, 1977 - 1997

Winnie, <1 year, 1977 - 2002

No name, 1 year, 10/1978 - 02/1979

Shawn, 1 year, 1978 - 1979

Betty, 3 years, 1978 - 1987

Kahana, 1 year, 1978 - 1991

Kotar, <1 year, 1978 - 1995

No name, 1 year, 11/1978 - 02/1979
Kasatka, 1 year, 1978 - 2017
Shamu, 1 year, 1979 - 1983

No name, 3 years, 11/1979 - 01/1980

King, <1 year, 1979 - 1983

Caren, 2 years, 1979 - 1987

Benkei 2, <1 year, 1980 - 1983

Finna, 3 years, 1980 - 1997

Vigga, 1 year, 1980 - 2000

Bjossa, 3 years, 1980 - 2001

No name, 4 years, 10/1981 - 1982? 

No name, <1 year, 10/1981 - 12/1981

Neptune, 4 years, 1981 - 1983

Nemo, <1 year, 1981 - 1986

Ruka, 2 years, 1981 - 2000

Nootka 5, 2 years, 1981 - 2008

No name, 1 year, 10/1982 - 05/1983

Nootka 4, 3 years, 1982 - 1994

Haida 2, <1 year, 1982 - 2001

Kim 2, <1 year, 1982 - 2005
Freya, 1 year, 1982 - 2015

Nandu, 2 years, 1983 - 1988

Samoa, 3 years, 1983 - 1992
Tilikum, 2 years, 1983 - 2017

No name, 4 years, 11/1984 - 01/1985
Bingo, 2 years, 1984 - 2014

Freyja, 2 years, 1984 - 1987

Junior, 2 years, 1984 - 1994

Kandu 7, 6 years, 1984 - 2005

Prince, 3 years, 1987 - 1991

Maggie, 3 years, 1987 - 1997

Oscar, 1 year, 1987 - 2012

Ai, 1-2 years, 1989 - 1995

Tanouk, 3 years, 1989 - 2000

Ran, 1-2 years, 1989 - 2004

Sharkan, 4 years, 1989, 1989 - 2009

Keiko, 2 years, 1979 - Keiko died in 2003 after being returned to his natural habitat. 

For more information, visit: ORCA HOME (www.orcahome.de)

There's Something About Orca

by Sam Lipman

Why orca and not tigers or dinosaurs or bottlenose dolphins or bears? A question that I am often asked and a question that, if I am perfectly honest, I find difficult to answer. I don't really know "why orca". For me, it has just always been that way, from as far back as I can remember, when I first laid eyes on one. 

I had always loved all animals as a child but growing up in a big concrete town, I never had the opportunity to see or learn about whales and dolphins. That is, until I saw Keiko, the orca who played Willy in the hit Hollywood movie "Free Willy". My four-year old heart melted. 

I remember being sat in that cinema chair in 1994 filled with absolute awe and, despite the fact I was only watching this magnificent creature through a television screen (albeit a very large TV screen), I felt a connection with him, with his entire species. There was just something special about this animal, something magical - something that even to this day I find incredibly difficult to put into words. And this wonder wasn't limited to Keiko as an individual - not at all. I still get shivers down my spine and feel that indescribable excitement building when I watch those first few moments of the "Free Willy" movie - the video footage of orca swimming through the open ocean, with the signature opening credit theme music playing over the top. 

This burning passion that gripped me as a toddler has stayed with me throughout my life so far and I now bare the proud label of "orcaholic", that many of you share with me.

So why orca? The conclusion that I have reached is that there's just something about orca. Which isn't very helpful at all, so I put the question to the girl who grew up with orca (and many other cetacean species) in her back garden, Melisa Pinnow. 

Once you've read why it's orca for Melisa, we would love to hear from YOU - why have orca stolen your attention, and possibly even your heart?  

by Melisa Pinnow (guest blogger)

25 year old Matia L77 does an inverted tail slap
(Photo © Melisa Pinnow)

I am asked this question all the time and I often wonder about it myself. I believe one reason I fell in love with orcas is due to their lifelong family bonds. Sons and daughters stay with their mothers their entire lives, making them relatable. It proves to me that these beings can feel emotions, experiencing happiness and excitement as a younger sibling is being born or sadness and mourning when a family member passes away or is captured for life in a tank. Their extremely high level of intelligence, problem solving abilities and hunting techniques also draws me in. 

I love how they all have unique saddle patches, eye patches and dorsal fin shapes that allow me to identify and get to know each individual I meet and their personalities are just as unique. Another reason is an adult male’s 6 foot tall dorsal fin. Watching something so tall rise up out of the water as a male surfaces is an amazing sight. I also love all of their surface behaviors they do from breaching, spy hopping, belly flopping and cartwheeling to above water vocalizations and playing with kelp. 

Unique saddle patches: 17 year-old Crewser L92 & 
56 year-old grandma Baba L26 (Photo © Melisa Pinnow)

Another reason is that they are just as curious of us as we are of them. On 8/31/12 a 5 month old female named L119 came straight over to our boat and playfully tail slapped and looked up at us from underwater. She paralleled us for a bit then abruptly turned and rolled around in delight as if we were the most exciting thing she had ever seen in her life. On separate occasions we have also had Cappuccino K21, Cousteau L113, Mystery L85, Samish J14, Wave Walker L88, Star J46, Mega L41, and Mike J26 come over to our boat and eye us. I also love orcas for the sounds they make. An orca’s quick exhale and inhale is my favorite sound in the world. During summer nights I open up my window and go to sleep to the sounds of the Southern Resident orcas breathing as they swim past my house.  I also love their vocalizations they make, especially the calls of resident orcas because each pod has a unique accent that makes it so you can identify a pod just by listening to them. Plus, who couldn’t love an orca’s sleek black and white patterned body! These are the reasons I am interested in orcas. 

Melisa is also author of Orca in my Garden.  

35 year old Nugget L55 breaches (Photo © Melisa Pinnow)