False Killer Whales from Blue Horizons??

[MrDDuck]

Hey all,

I have been an avid fan of Seaworld from many years and take great interest in their shows particularly.

During my last two visits (summer 2008 and summer 2009) I have noticed that the "Majesty of the Sea" false killer whale section of Blue Horizons has been cut at every performance I attended.

Has anyone got any information on this and if this section of the show has/ever will make a return.

I am visiting summer 2010 and the excitement is building already!

 

[TiffinyKC]

I have a tidbit of information that could help. My DS and I took the Animal Shows and Photo tour this past December and when we saw Blue Horizons the false killer whale was in the show.

The tour guide that we had said that the false killer whale appears in most shows but not every one, every day. Since this is the only false killer whale that they have they apparently do not like to tire the animal out by making it perform at every showing. There is no real replacement, she said that if the false killer whale does not appear then they will substitute it with another dolphin or two.

It's luck of the draw. Good luck, I hope that you get to see the false killer whale; amazing animal.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

Cassied passed away in Dec of 08' So Jozu is left, in all sense they rotate animals around, if jozu says" no" they send out a dolphin, or even cut off that section of the show all together.

Usually find out how many shows their doing that day- usually the early morning or late evening show they bring up the Pseudorca (Jozu). Its all on them of course.

 

[SandrA9810]

A couple years back when we first saw the show, the whales both decided they didn't want to perform and started playing around. After about 10 mins of trying to get them to continue, they went ahead and moved on to the next part. It was really interesting though because the trainers came out to talk about what and why the whales were acting the way they were.

I guess they have more of an attitude than the other animals. I mean shamu performs for every show...

 

[atigeg]

Shamu doesn't always perform, several times during the past summer (2009) the whales interrupted the Shamu Rocks show. I have one occurrence on videotape. The trainers make it interesting by explaining what was going on.

 

[SandrA9810]

wow. I've never seen a shamu show interupted. First time for everything I guess.

But they are animals after all. You can't expect everything from them.

 

[livndisney]

Shamu doesn't always perform, several times during the past summer (2009) the whales interrupted the Shamu Rocks show. I have one occurrence on videotape. The trainers make it interesting by explaining what was going on.

We have seen it happen a couple of times. Once the females were ummmm "teasing" the male. The trainer came out to explain and seemed a little embarassed. But like she said when an animal that large doesn't want to do something-they don't so it!

 

[SandrA9810]

The walruses are also typical boys... That's always amuzing to watch as well. And of course the people there are always embarresed to say what they're doing. Apparently it's just a bad habit they find highly amuzing and no one taught them that.

I love it when baby whales swim with the momma's. One time while we were waiting for the show to start. The mom and baby whales were swimming around the tank. Well the merchandise lady trying to sell towels put her hand in the air for some reason, and the whale came over, splashed the water with her tail over the side of the tank and soaked the lady. Then the baby tried to copy it, without much success. At least it was summer time.

 

[truck1]

I love it when baby whales swim with the momma's. One time while we were waiting for the show to start. The mom and baby whales were swimming around the tank. Well the merchandise lady trying to sell towels put her hand in the air for some reason, and the whale came over, splashed the water with her tail over the side of the tank and soaked the lady. Then the baby tried to copy it, without much success. At least it was summer time.

If its the whale Im thinking of, shes no longer in Orlando. Shes in Texas now.Her name is Takara. I remember seeing it happen more than once.Shed be in the main pool with her calf, before a show and shadow the people selling towels. Shed swim by once or twice, maybe put her face next to the glass, then do a swim by then and without warning, do a tail swipe and soak the person with the towels.Ive seen her do that more than once before the same show started.Ive seen her follow the same person from one side of the pool,to the other and back.And splash them more than once.The babys learn from watching there mothers.

Theres a pair of calves, prob now a little older, that have learned to throw a fish on the deck of the main stage before a show, and when a bird comes by, theyd either spit water out at the bird or launch themselves out of the water on to the deck where the bird is.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

lol im goig to guess it was nalani becaus I have video of Nalani cruising and splashing the vendors..lol her and Trua were the two biggest culprits of the splashing

 

[truck1]

lol im goig to guess it was nalani becaus I have video of Nalani cruising and splashing the vendors..lol her and Trua were the two biggest culprits of the splashing

Im fairly certain it was Tiki since it was a larger whale with a calf that was doing it.Though the other calf wasnt far behind if she was in the same tank.

Ive lost track of the whales at SWO since they moved a few around. I used to have a handle on all of the names until recently.Theres a few I know for sure are still there.

If I had to guess, one of the females (other than Takara whos no longer there) are pregnant since generally they have 10 whales at SWO unless theres 1 or 2 expecting.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

fems: Katina, Kalina, Kayla and Taima

Calves: Trua, Nalani and Malia

Male: (my fave) Tillikum


*Takara had a healthy little calf a few days ago @ SWT- I heard their trying to get kayla to breed with Tillikum. Since she rejected her calf "Halyn" who assed away in SWT. She's been around The other experienced females who has given birth since her arrival and with this time, if she does reject the calf, they have 2 great surrogates. (Katina and Kalina)

lolz when did you go? i went May 15th 2009

 

[truck1]

fems: Katina, Kalina, Kayla and Taima

Calves: Trua, Nalani and Malia

Male: (my fave) Tillikum


*Takara had a healthy little calf a few days ago @ SWT- I heard their trying to get kayla to breed with Tillikum. Since she rejected her calf "Halyn" who assed away in SWT. She's been around The other experienced females who has given birth since her arrival and with this time, if she does reject the calf, they have 2 great surrogates. (Katina and Kalina)

lolz when did you go? i went May 15th 2009

I live about 30 minutes from the park and the last time we were there was Xmas week.We go several times a month during the summer, and about once a month or so during the school year.
I remember seeing that Tiki had a calf, and that Kayla had lost interest in her calf, and that she later died not long after being put into the main pools from the back pool where she was.

I was there ( I worked there at the time) when I forget who it was either Taima, or Gudrun had a calf that later died due to complications from a lowered immune system.His name was Nyar.


Gudrun had learned, and taught some of the other whales on how to stop a show or at least be taken out of a show.
Shed go down to the bottom of the pool, and then shed skim her chin on the bottom or other object to break the skin, so that when she came back up, shed have blood running down her chin.

I also remember that at that time, Tilli could and would lob water clear out of the stadium.There was no safe place to sit and stay dry when he came out.I think it was the night show or might have been the reg show, that when they would say your about to get very very very wet, theyd play the theme to Jaws, and flash the cam back and forth on each note between the audience and Tilli.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

Gudrun had a little girl named Nyar. (Taima's sister) Nyar was born New years ever of '93 she died in april 1st 1996 Nyar would constantly get sick from many illnesses.. Kayla didint have a calf in SWF that died. But she did have Halyn in SWT that died. she was 2 1/2 yrs old (2008) when she passed on.

Lol i know my guy, he's awesome, I have lots of footage of him splashing the upper seats of the stadium.. my father learned the hard way (lol must put that on youtube) For a male orca it is not surprising as to how hard they can "Fluke Flick" heck if he can clear his 12,000lb body out of the water, i guess we shouldn't be surprised. I had an incident when i dont like talking about (trauma) when Im sure it was Kanduke and a female-they stopped the show to uh... have some "couple" time.. for few minutes.. im just going to put it that way.. lol

Ive been around the swf orcas for more than 25 years.. I cant believe how much has changed i remember when I first saw Tillikum, it was late april of 92. he is such an amazing male orca. Just like Kanduke and kotar. lol I wish Taku was alive today i would imagine he would be the spitting image of his daddy (with Katina's eyepatch of course. )

 

[truck1]

May not have been Gudrun, but there was a calf born in 95-96, that was born at night just after the last night show. Its mom was in the middle of the night show when she went in to labor. Alot of people must have missed the signs since, she was in the show with the babys tail flukes showing.Which is what stopped the show, and they pushed the guests out.The calf was born less the 2 hours later. I was closing that night at either the old CKW or Dolphin stadium, and remember one of the OPS gsms jumping the counter at Info, and runing for SS.Saw the birth on the big screen from one of the walkways under the stadium.Someone I knew from Shamu ops,told us later what had happened.

 

[SandrA9810]

Wow... you sure do know the whales. The names are just so odd, I don't know if I could keep up with all of them. I guess if I spent more time in the parks and actually watching the whales I'd know more.

The penguins are more favorite, and every time I go, I go to the 2pm Q&A. I have yet to get to go back stage and meet a penguin, but maybe one of these days.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

Ah Now i know who your talking about- that was Nootka, i remember hearing bout that, it was a "stillbirth". Sadly she died a month after having the calf, cause of death was unknown.

 

[truck1]

Ah Now i know who your talking about- that was Nootka, i remember hearing bout that, it was a "stillbirth". Sadly she died a month after having the calf, cause of death was unknown.

I had to do a lot of looking online, but finally found it. It wa Kalina and she gave birth to Keto the year I worked there. It was June of 95.Not sure when Nootka had hers.Gudrun died about a year later in 96 after her stillbirth.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

lol i completely forgot about Keto, he was Transferred to SWC @ the age of 4yrs. i was thinking Nootka.. SWF had 10 whales at one point. thanks for clearing that up..lol i know more about the current pod than the early 90's one, back when Unna and Tuar were around..lol

 

[TitanBrett]

I go to sea world once sometimes twice a month and must have terrible luck because the false killer whale hasnt performed for me in at least 6 months.