ORCA TRAINER DAWN BRANCHEAU WITH KATINA IN SEAWORLD ORLANDO, 1998 - PHOTO BY MARIO MASSONE VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG
SeaWorld Orlando has announced that one of its most iconic killer whales, Katina, has died at the age of 50 after a period of declining health. Park officials said her condition worsened over recent weeks as she “entered her geriatric years,” and caregivers shifted their focus to keeping her comfortable before she passed away on December 20, surrounded by the animal care team. She had been suffering from a chronic bacterial respiratory infection.
Katina was thought to have been born in the mid-1970s and was captured off the coast of Iceland as a young whale before entering SeaWorld’s care in the late 1970s. She was moved between several SeaWorld parks before arriving in Orlando in the early 1980s, where she became one of the park’s most recognizable residents and performed with several generations of orcas. At about 50 years old, she was considered the second-oldest orca in captivity. In the wild, female killer whales usually live 50-80 years.
SeaWorld described Katina as having a “big personality,” known for distinctive behaviors including sticking out her tongue and performing a “speed swim” to make water cyclones in her pool.
Katina’s long stint in captivity also included contributions to SeaWorld’s breeding program, through which she gave birth to multiple calves. Her daughter, Kalina, was celebrated as the first killer whale successfully born and raised in human care. Zoos and marine parks in the U.S. stopped the practice of capturing wild orcas in th elate 70s, and instead shifted to importing from existing captive populations instead.
Over the years, Katina’s health and condition drew public attention. In 2018, she made the news when she suffered a split dorsal fin while interacting with other members of SeaWorld’s orca pod.
As is standard practice, her body will undergo a necropsy to confirm the cause of death, with specific parts likely preserved for scientific and educational purposes.
